Two British terrorists who fled the UK to fight in Syria ordered books Islam For Dummies, The Koran For Dummies and Arabic For Dummies from Amazon ahead of their trip.

Mohammed Nahin Ahmed also told his childhood friend Yusuf Zubair Sarwar, both 22, 'I cannot tell anyone I'm going to jihad. Lol. I'll get arrested' before they left Birmingham and joined rebels in Aleppo, a court heard today.

After eight months fighting in Syria they were arrested on their return to Heathrow Airport in January after their relatives tipped off counter-terrorism detectives.

Sarwar had left a note for his mother arguing going 'to do jihad' in Syria was 'doing the best deed in Allah's eyes' and said the Taliban and Al Qaeda 'are not bad', so she went to the police.

After returning to Britain they told officers they had been doing humanitarian work but a camera containing 'thousands' of images, including some of them posing with guns on the front line, was found in their luggage.

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Convicted: Best friends Nahin Ahmed (left) and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar, both 22, fled Britain for Syria to 'do jihad'. They took pictures of themselves with guns, which were found by police in their luggage

Reference books: The pair bought Islam for Dummies, The Koran for dummies and Arabic for Dummies from Amazon ahead of their Syria trip, where they spent eight months fighting in Aleppo

Traces of 'military-grade explosives', including TNT and nitro-glycerine were on the men's clothes and trainers.

JIHADIST LEFT NOTE FOR MOTHER BEFORE FLEEING UK FOR SYRIA Sarwar left a scribbled letter for his mother when he fled for Syria, but she went to the police who intercepted him and his friend Ahmed when they flew back to Britain eight months later. It read: 'Make sure you don't get any authority involved its (sic) a kuffar (infidel) government. 'I will try to intercede for you but don't rely on my intercession for if Allah allows me to intercede make sure to perfect yourselfs (sic). 'Make sure to keep me in your dua (prayers) as I am doing the best deed in Allahs eyes in'shaa' Allah. 'I will be going to Sumya (Syria) Ash sham which I will help the oppressed and fight Allahs enemies there. 'Taliban, Al Quada (sic) etc are not bad the West portrays them as bad. 'The group I will be joining is Kataib Al Muhajireen which is part of Al Nusra. In 'shaa' Allah 'WE WOULD STAND UP AND NEVER WOULD LET ALLAHS RELIGION BE DEMONISED' Advertisement

Sarwar's family reported him missing to police in May last year after they found a hand-written letter from him in which said he had left to join a terrorist group called Kataib al Muhajireen (KaM) - later renamed Kateeba al-Kawthar - 'to do jihad'.

Officers also found social media and email conversations between the pair and Islamic extremists.

Over Skype, Ahmed talked to a Swedish national who was fighting with KaM.

He told the fighter: 'I come to join KaM,' to which the Swede replies: 'Inshallah (God willing)'.

Ahmed later asked a Danish Islamic extremist: 'Would the brothers in Yemen accept me?'

At Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London today they each admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorism acts contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

The families of both men had put pressure on them to return to the UK once they discovered where they were.

Days earlier he had told his family he was travelling to Turkey as part of a two-week trip organised by Birmingham City University, where he was a part-time computer science student.

It prompted a search of the men's homes, which revealed an online conversation between Ahmed and a Swedish national fighting with the KaM, during which Ahmed said he wanted to join the terrorist group.

West Midlands Police said the men showed the mind-set to go and join the jihad in Syria, before carrying out research, buying equipment, and finally travelling their via Turkey.

Ahmed, who was born in Bangladesh, moved to Britain as a child, while Sarwar, who is of Pakistani descent, was born in Britain.

Family: Sarwar left a scribbled letter for his mother when he fled for Syria, but she went to the police who intercepted him and his friend Ahmed when they flew back to Britain eight months later

Guilty: Ahmed, left, and Sarwar, right, each admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorism acts contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act at Woolwich Crown Court

In court: Nahin Ahmed (pictured left and right before he went to Syria) pleaded guilty to preparing for acts of terrorism today

An initial search of their homes revealed images of Islamic propaganda on both of their computers, including images of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) flags, shaheed (martyr) literature and several texts which are linked to the jihadi mindset.

Judge Topolski QC said he would not pass sentence until a Court of Appeal decision about a similar case had been heard later this summer.

The judge earlier told the court that he was willing to offer a reduction in sentence if the defendants were to plead guilty.

He described the case as a 'grave one'.

He told the court that together they 'carefully planned a journey from the UK to Turkey and on to Syria to join Islamist rebels fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad'.

Ruse: The pair said they were travelling to Turkey as part of a two-week trip organised by Birmingham City University (pictured at Heathrow) but they then went on to Syria

Ahmed passes through a gate at the airport. At home he and his friend had propaganda on both of their computers, including images of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) flags and shaheed (martyr) literature

Assistant chief constable Marcus Beale, senior officer for counter-terrorism in the West Midlands, said: 'These young men went to considerable lengths to hide their plans from their families, who have since suffered a great deal of distress.

'It's not easy to know everything that a family member is doing all of the time, but we encourage parents to hold a healthy interest and curiosity into who their children mix with and who seems to hold a strong influence over them.

'Crucially, if families are worried that a member is thinking of travelling to Syria, it is very important that they tell the authorities as soon as possible.