Cat Stevens, born in London in 1948, was the son of a Swedish mother and a Greek father. He went to a Catholic primary school before he began his successful musical career at the age of 18 as a singer and rock music songwriter.

His music always carried philosophical meanings that reflected on life and death, after having a near-death experience. On his 29th birthday, his brother gave him a translated copy of the Quran, which led him to convert to Islam in 1977 and change his name to Yusuf Islam.

After he converted to Islam, he left his musical career to devote himself to charity work and education in the Islamic community. In the 1990s, he returned to singing about Islam to call for peace and brotherhood and to introduce Islam around the world.