MAHER ZAIN'S MUSIC

Maher Zain has millions of fans globally, yet is very hesitant to embrace fame.

About 11 p.m. writes Alex Marshall, one recent Friday, in a room backstage at the International Convention Center here at Birmingham, England, the pop star Maher Zain, dressed all in white, was meeting his fans after a sold-out 90 minute show.

Fiaza Kausar a 23-year old receptionist for a vacuum cleaner company. walked up to him, somehow keeping her cool.

''When you are having a bad day or something you just listen to him and you feel happier.'' she had said earlier, adding that she plays his music and out loud at work.

After taking a photograph, she faced him and said, ''May Allah bless you with happiness and success always.''

Mr. Zain smiled and touched his hand to his heart. Then Ms. Kausar was ushered out of the room, and other fans who had each paid 150-pounds, or about $200, came in to meet him.

Mr. Zain who was in Birmingham for the  eighth-performance of a tour for the  British charity Penny Appeal, is one of the  Islamic pop's  biggest stars.

The 36 year old has more than  26 million likes on Facebook and gets over 100 million views on YouTube a month, particularly from the Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

His song ''For the Rest of My Life''  is an Islamic wedding fixture. [In Birmingham, one concertgoer said she had heard it at a Non-Muslim wedding, despite its opening line, ''I praise Allah for sending you, my love'']

He even has frriends in high places : President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey  ''loves me as an artist,'' Mr. Zain said. They have met many times.

Mr. Zain works hard to ensure his music reaches a wide audience. He releases albums in Arabic, Turkish and sometimes  in Malay, and includes songs with lyrics in Urdu and Indonesian.

His songs cover a wide range of styles, from slick ballads to driving Europop, but he also releases  vocal-only  versions for strict Muslims who consider instrumental music haram or forbidden.