The 25-year-old unmarried management graduate from the south of France was previously a Christian but refuses to divulge any more personal information, not even his previous first name, albeit for very valid reasons.

He says his country is not very open to different cultures and religions, which is quite ironic for a nation with a substantial Muslim community.

Abdul Aziz told Arab News he started questioning his faith from an early age.

“Since I was young, I used to think a lot about what there is after death,” he said. “So I did a lot of research. I didn’t find the answers to the questions (in Christianity).”

He added that due to the cosmopolitan nature of his country — home to a number of faiths — he was able to consult with friends from varied backgrounds.

“I spoke with my Jewish friends, my Muslim friends, and we discussed religion. But obviously there were a lot of perspectives. So I decided to conduct my own research,” he said.

He scoured books and the Internet and eventually found the answers he was looking for in Islam.

“In Islam, there is no contradiction. Everything is logical,” Abdul Aziz added. “In Christianity, I found some things that didn’t correlate with each other. In Islam, I didn’t find that contradiction.”

At the tender age of 17, this softly spoken and affable young man made the life-changing decision to become a Muslim and recited Shahada in front of his friends.

His family, although slightly skeptical of his decision, did at least try to express an open mind before unconditionally accepting his new faith.

“They asked me some questions because they were afraid about (fundamentalists) who try to influence others to become extremists,” he said.

“I explained to them why I chose Islam, because I was very afraid of death. Every night, before I sleep, I would ask myself what would happen in the afterlife. So I explained this to my father and he accepted it.”

Abdul Aziz said he will not know how he feels about the whole Haj experience until he has finally completed all the rites.

“When I was in Makkah I performed Umrah. It didn’t register that we were in Makkah,” he added.

“I think it will register after Haj, because I feel a bit stressed. I want to do (all the rites) well.”

He said that he wanted to feel enlightened after Haj finishes, knowing that he has fulfilled one of the five pillars of Islam, his new religion.