His father, Mohammad Reza Tankabani (born in 1282 AH), the son of Mohammad Vaez Tankabani, was one of the prominent scholars of Mazandaran and Tehran. His mother was Tubi Khanom, the daughter of Abolhassan, an Isfahani merchant. His childhood was mainly spent at home under the direct supervision of his father. At the age of seven, he went to Tawfik primary school, and under the care of Mohammad Reza Tawfik, he studied reading and writing, grammar, and religious sciences.