Zain Bhikha

Zain Bhikha (August 9, 1974) is a South African singer-songwriter of Indian descent mostly known for his interpretation of Islamic nasheed songs. Bhikha’s music consists of only his voice and percussion, mainly because the use of other instruments is a topic of debate in the Muslim community. He is often associated with other notable Islamic singers such as Yusuf Islam and Dawud Wharnsby and is actively involved in educational projects in his native South Africa. Outside of the Islamic world, Zain Bhikha is recognized for being featured in the soundtrack of the Disney animated movie The Lion King (1994), alongside a drummer and a group of vocalists. Faith, his official studio debut, arrived in 2001 and was followed by Our World (2002), Mountains of Makkah (2005), and Allah Knows (2006), which featured singer Nadira Alli on the track “My Mum is Amazing.” In 2008, he participated in Abu Dhabi’s Al Mahabbah Awards Festival with Yusuf Islam’s “Peace Train.” Zain Bhikha continued his prolific streak with A Way of Life (2010), Hope (2011), Songs of a Soul (2014), The Passing Traveller (2015), and the children’s album Cotton Candy Sky (2018).