1997

He was a member of the Muslims shortly after Kareem Said began to lead them, and assisted Said in leading the riot.

1998

Arif objected to Said agreeing to help Vern Schillinger, and later began to quarrel with the other Muslims when Said was up for clemency.

1999

New arrival Hamid Kahn helped Arif see the errors of Said's leadership, and the two organized the other Muslims to shun Said. Kahn was braindamaged in a boxing match, however.

2000

When Kahn died, Arif took over control of the Muslims and joined Simon Adebisi in his quest to tip the balance of power in Oz. Adebisi began to ignore Arif, and Arif's leadership put all Muslims in danger, so Arif turned control of the Muslims back to Said and asked for his help. Said was able to stop Adebisi via shank in the back. Arif also witnessed Ryan O'Reilly murder Patrick Keenan in the gym.

2001

Said convinced Arif to tell Warden Glynn what he'd seen O'Reilly do, but Glynn did not get enough evidence to convict anyone.

2002

Arif continued to press Glynn about Keenan's murder, but O'Reilly stayed one step ahead of the "anonymous witness" by placing evidence to implicate someone else. Arif's wife was killed in a bus accident.

2003

Arif followed Said in his suggestion that the Muslims form their own business to publish a dead man's memoirs. When Arif went with Said to talk to a reporter, the reporter pulled out a gun and shot Said. Said died in Arif's arms, saying, "Do not hurt him", referring to his assassin. Tim McManus convinced Arif to lead the Muslims and finish what Said had started with the book-binding business, which they did with the successful publication of their first book. When Said's assassin, Lemuel Idzik, arrived in Oz, Omar White (another project Said had started) wanted to kill Idzik, but Arif told him not to under Said's dying wishes. The Muslims' business was a booming success. However, Burr Redding became upset at this and sabotaged the machinery of Arif's business. Arif angrily confronted Redding, who confessed to having done it, but then he showed Arif that what had happened was a good thing. Arif angrily told the other Muslims that what had happened had been an accident. Arif's conscience was eating away at him about him, so he finally confessed to the other Muslims, and they beat him. He then confessed to McManus, who decided to put Arif in the cage and Redding into Solitary.