Why does anyone convert to Islam?

[GrandizerII]

In some aspects, Islam can be seen as more rational than Christianity. Think strictly unitarian God vs. confusingly trinitarian singular God.

Another reason might be that Islam is seen as more manly than Christianity, and some folks find appeal in that kind of stuff.

These are just two among many possible reasons why one might convert to Islam rather than Christianity.

[Anomalocaris]

Conversion to one specific religion rather than, or from,  another is often the result of unscrupulous proselytizers of the winning religion ruthlessly capitalizing on the fact that their insufficiently thinking victims happen to be familiar with the contradiction of, and iniquities perpetrated in the name of, or by the adherent to, the other religion, but not of their own.

Think of why Nation of Islam gained black adherents in the segregationist and predominantly Christian America.

[FrustratedFool]

In my experience, someone who converted and later deconverted would be more likely to be able to give a more introspective account.

[LinuxGal]

h4ym4n

If I were religious and not a Muslim I’d convert because they have the best looking hat

You don’t want to piss off god with the wrong hat

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

In my experience, someone who converted and later deconverted would be more likely to be able to give a more introspective account.

So do that.

Boru

[zebo-the-fat]

I would just like to say, I do not own a hat!

[FrustratedFool]

Any deconverts from Islam willing to share why they converted to Islam in the first place?

[arewethereyet]

I know of one person who converted to Islam while he spent time behind bars. He bought into it so completely that when he got out and his girlfriend got pregnant, they gave the baby a very Islamic name...how he talked her into that I will never know. His 'conversion' was a way to get through what he was facing at the time. The son now goes by a rather Anglo name.

I don't find it unusual for people to adopt certain things when they need, or think they need, those things. Whatever gets you through the night, as it were.

[Mister Agenda]

Whenever I've encountered someone I knew to be an atheist who as converted to a theistic religion; it always seems to be very personal reasons rather than spiritual ones. I knew omeone who became a Catholic, for instance, to make their Catholic fiance' happy. Islam requires that women only marry Muslim men and some men have been known to convert so they can marry a Muslim woman.

As arewethereyet observed, making a religious affiliation in prison can be very practical.

As far as sincerity goes, you can't switch belief on like a light; but you can do a lot to convince yourself over time once you've decided you want to be religious.

[Aegon]

I can just about understand why someone would convert to Hinduism, Buddhism, Paganism or some forms of Christianity in the West.  But why do some secular atheists convert to Islam?

Here's a video you might enjoy: