Areef Subrathie was born in 1981 in Durban, South Africa. He has been performing since the age of 12 and has seen successes in numerous international competitions. His combination of traditional music with a contemporary approach has found broad cross-over appeal, and has made him popular with both young and old.

Habibi Ya Habibi, his debut album, took South Africa by storm when released in 2002. He consolidated his success with Pyaara Madina, released a year later. These albums have now been brought to the UK by Nur al-Habib Productions. Areef hopes to continue promoting the din of Islam and calling people to the love of the Holy Prophet through his recitations and training workshops for promising young artists.