Muhammad Abbas Ali was born in Bombay, India on November 15, 1921 and spent most of his school years in Calcutta. He was commissioned in the British Indian Army in 1943 and served in the Hyderabad State Army until 1948. After the partition of the Indo-Pak subcontinent and the creation of Pakistan, he joined the Pakistan Army and continued his services as a Major in the infantry until his retirement in the early 1970s. After his retirement, he combined his adventurous lifestyle with his strong desire to help the poor and downtrodden masses in whatever way he could. He soon started fundraising through charity walks for various national and international charities. In the mid to late 1980s, he was involved in marathon walks in the UAE for international charities such as, UNICEF, World Health Organization, Sports Aids and Islamic Mission Hospitals, among others.