Kafeel Ahmed sent his brother an e-mail two days before he tried to blow up Glasgow airport telling him that he was prepared for the long haul but wanted Allah to protect him from going to the “dreaded prison”.

He wrote: “This is the project that I was working on for some time now. Everything else was a lie.”

He added: “It’s about time that we give up our lives and our families for the sake of Islam to please Allah.”

The terrorist crashed a jeep into the city’s airport and set himself on fire in June last year, the Old Bailey heard.

He had been involved in failed bomb attacks on the West End 24 hours earlier, the court was told.

Sabeel Ahmed, 26, received a text message from his older brother just before the attack telling him to read the email, which he did later that day.

But he did not tell the police, and today pleaded guilty to withholding information about the attack.

Kafeel, who had a PhD in engineering, instructed him in the email not to tell anyone about it and maintain a cover story that he was in Iceland on a global warming project.

The message said: “Inshallah by the time you get this message I should have achieved one of the two goals by the will of Allah.

“I sincerely apologise and pray that you forgive me for keeping this from you. It was for your safety and for the sake of the project.

“And after much deliberation I have decided to write this message so that you are prepared to take the knock-on effects of my actions.

“My sincere request that you do the following:

“1. Pray to Allah for acceptance of my deeds.

“2. Pray to Allah to give you calm and composure and strength (for you will need this)

“3. Do not inform any one about me or my deed (and I mean anyone).

“4. If they figure out it was me (I have tried to clear up my tracks as much as possible) then go ahead and tell them whatever they ask of you (about my PhD and the project on global warming and my trip to Iceland and give them my comp if they ask).

“And of course this is going to put you in trouble (Allah forbid). Say only that which is necessary. And please don’t argue. Try to continue as normal but appear shocked. Try to put off telling Abbu-Ammi (mother and father) for as long as possible. I am sorry for putting you in this situation.

“But it’s about time that we give up our lives and families for the sake of Islam to please Allah. And you will inshallah get the reward for this.

“5. If they can’t figure out who it was, then keep me alive for as long as possible.

“6. If I am caught, then try to maintain calmness (and if asked, repeat my story of PhD and project on global warming) and don’t try too hard to get me released, I am prepared for the long haul (May Allah save me from the dreaded prisons).

“It will be your task to explain to people at home. I and the team are making maximum efforts to prevent this.

“7. In any of the above cases, leave this place and go back home or elsewhere as soon as possible.

“8. Please take care of Abbu and Ammi...

“11. At any time, don’t hold back from joining the Jihad, by money, words and actions. Allah makes it easy for those who do so...”

He ends the email: “May Allah... reward you for the troubles.

“Your brother Abu Abdurahman.”

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