Bünyamin Yıldız, a Turkish imam born in the Netherlands, is proud to have helped 150 people convert to Islam during his time in the country. Working in mosques run by the Dutch Diyanet Foundation associated with the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (DIB), Yıldız says the words of the Prophet Muhammad guide him to bring more people to Islam.
During his nine-year tenure at two mosques in the European country, his efforts converted people from the Netherlands, as well as Poland, Russia and China, to Islam.
Yildiz, 34, hopes to convert more people in his latest post as imam of the Ulu Mosque in Bergen op Zoom, a city in the south of the Netherlands.
Yıldız told Anadolu Agency (AA) that his inspiration was “sahabe” (sahabah – companions of Prophet Muhammad who spread Islam in different countries). “I have the same intention and I get the results. I feel blessed to help others,” he said. He attributes the conversions to the conduct of Muslims. “My guide is the hadith (saying) of the Prophet who urges the devotees to ‘make it easy for people, calm them down with good news and not push them away’.”
Sydney Zandwijken, a 21-year-old man, is among the Muslim converts he has mentored. The two met at the Mevlana Mosque where Yıldız previously worked in Rotterdam. He says he was influenced by his Muslim friends and Yıldız helped him convert. “I was looking for peace and Islam brought it to me,” he said.