Religious conversion is an immensely complex phenomenon. This study focuses on the conversion experiences of 70 native British converts to Islam. This study should be an important addition to the study of religious conversion, as conversion to Islam either from outside or within Islam is widely neglected in the literature.

Part 1 Muslims in Britain: immigrant Muslims of Britain - the history of Muslims in Britain, the contemporary Muslim community; native British Muslims - the history of native British Muslims - the Liverpool Mosque and Muslim Institute, the Woking Mission, the contemporary native British Muslims - the Islamic Party of Britain, the Association for British Muslims; Da'wah strategy in Britain - indirect Da'wah approach, direct Da'wah approach. Part 2 On the way to conversion: childhood experiences - happiness versus unhappiness, father figure in childhood - absent or withdrawn father, mother - father's substitute and independence from her, parents' affiliation and upbringing regarding religion, Freud and religious conversion; conversion and adolescence - conversion age, emotional and cognitive issues in adolescence, rebellion conversion, Eriksonian concept of identity - moratorium and conversion at a later age. Part 3 Conversion process: background analysis - religion, socio-economic status; immediate antecedents of conversion - emotional antecedents, cognitive antecedents; conversion motifs (patterns); social influence in the process of conversion and the conversion process model - the convert as a social type, conversion through marriage, conversion process model. Part 4 Postconversion - the transformed self: the new being - change - beliefs, practice and habits, maintenance and socialization, cultural transition, relations with parents, ex-friends and the society. Part 5 Conversion through Sufism: Sufism - the agent of Islam, Sufism in the West; Sufism and new religious movements (NRMs) in the West - resemblance between Sufis and NRMs' members with regard to their background; the group of Shaykh Nazim - mission in Britain, initiation to the group, Dhikr and the belief of lower-self, basic teachings of the Shaykh which play major role in attracting converts and some features of the group, leader-member relations, psychotherapeutic treatment; findings on Sufi and non-Sufi differences regarding their backgrounds and conversion experiences.