al-Nawab was born in Baghdad, in 1934 into an aristocratic Shi'ite family of Indian origin that appreciated art, poetry and music.[3] He showed a talent for poetry from an early age. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Baghdad and became a teacher, but was expelled for political reasons in 1955 and remained unemployed for three years, at a difficult time for his family who was suffering financial hardship.[4]