Abdallah was born in Aleppo on September 8, 1672, to parents known for their piety and good reputation.
When ʿAbdallah turned sixteen, he grew more interested in monasticism and would secretly wonder about the means to realize his desire, because in the city of Aleppo and its surroundings there were no monasteries, while Mount Lebanon was popularly known to have been home to monks and monasteries in the name of Saint Anthony, Father of monks.