Zarif was born in 1938 in Tehran. He was a graduate of the Persian National Music Conservatory in Tehran; where he studied tar with Mousa Maroufi. Zarif worked with the Fine Arts Administration Orchestra, conducted by Hoessein Dehlavi in the 1950s and was the professor of tar at the National Conservatory for several years; Hossein Alizadeh was among his pupils.

He was recently honored at the 35th Fajr Music Festival, held in February 2020.