Ta’limul Islam high school

Till 1897 there were two primary schools for boys in Qadian: one privately run Arya School and the other Government School. Teaching staff of both schools consisted of prejudiced Hindus who let no occasion go to lecture against Islam and criticize the Promised Messiah [as] and his mission. Ahmadi students were obliged to attend these schools and hear their blasphemous chattering. When this matter was brought to the notice of the Promised Messiah [as], he was much grieved. He sought help from Allah by prayers and supplication and after consultation with his companions, announced to the Community that it had become imperative to start its own school.

The Promised Messiah [as] named the proposed primary school Ta‘limul Islam School which was inaugurated on the 1 January, 1898, in two rooms of the guest house. Within a span of three years the school was upgraded to the level of high school, and moved to some other suitable spacious place.

Ta’limul Islam High School was still in its infancy when Maulvi Muhammad Ali and party who were responsible for the management of the School, left Qadian in 1914. The school being no longer housed in its dilapidated building its custodians might well boast of having constructed a magnificent edifice of which the Community might well feel proud. It was indeed a grand and imposing building set in a picturesque background, rich in environs, constructed at a tremendous cost that spoke volumes for the generosity, and benevolence of the members of the Community.

The Lahore group had attracted the notice of the Community for their untiring energy and selfless devotion with which they had been managing the whole show. Being supported and encouraged in their plans they began to attach too much importance to themselves and their schemes. Hence, in the minds of the Lahore Group the fate of the Community was doomed when the Community elected Hadhrat Sahibzada Sahib

as Khalifatul Masih II in 1914.

The educational institution would definitely sink into insignificance. The building would pass over to Aryas or Christians whose arguments in favour of their faith and attacks on Islamic teaching would remain unbaffled by the mediocre ability and intelligence left behind. Hitherto all attention had been riveted on the school and almost all those associated with its name were then considered to be huge intellectual giants and all prophecies about the collapse of the Community bade fair to being fulfilled. They left Qadian but their hopes never materialised. 115

During the lifetime of the Promised Messiah [as] the Ta’limul Islam High School had been raised to an Intermediate College, but in consequence of a set of new regulations of the University of the Punjab, compliance with which was beyond the resources of the Community, the College classes had to be closed in 1905. The need of a college had, however, progressively become more insistent due to the reasons cited above and eventually the Ta’limul Islam College was restarted on 4 June 1944, but this time the College was not limited to Intermediate classes. It was designed as a Degree College. Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmad sahib M.A. (Oxon.) was appointed the first Principal of the College, a position that he held for 21 years, till he was elected to the holy office of Khalifatul Masih.

It was preordained that the opening of the college should coincide with the announcement of the claim and declaration of being the Promised Reformer by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra]. The college had some characteristic features which were beautifully set down by Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad, M.A., in one of his articles published in the Al Fazl. In the course of his article he says:

“The first peculiar feature of this college is that its inauguration coinciding with the announcement of the claim of ‘Musleh Mau’ood’ by Hadhrat Amir ul Momineen Khalifatul Masih, has fallen in a time, which may be called the

beginning of a new era in the history of the Community. Beside other auspicious movements, which are before the Community at this time, God has even made our college a sign amongst the manifold signs of the new era. In other words our college, from its very birth, is bringing the message of prosperity and bliss.

All praises be to Allah for this! “The second peculiarity of this college is that it is coming into existence in the last part of the present World War, at a time when the greatest statesmen of the world are pondering over the New World Order, to be established after the termination of the War. In this way our college is coming closely tied with two great movements, one religious, the other secular and a Divine Community which is used to seeing the Divine hand working in every matter, cannot ignore its inauguration by putting it down as a mere chance…” 116 On the occasion of the opening of the College in 1944, Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] delivered a most learned and detailed address setting out the purpose and objectives for which the College was being established, and the whole purpose and aim of higher education and the proper means of their achievement. In the very beginning of his address he observed:

“The establishment of the Ta’limul Islam College has a double purpose. One purpose is to provide means of higher education without which no Community can improve its cultural and economic conditions. So far as that purpose is concerned the doors of the College will be open to all students irrespective of caste and creed.

“Its second purpose is related to the influence of modern education upon religion…The Professors of this college should charge themselves, among other things, with the duty of repelling the objections raised against Islam on the basis of their particular subjects, through those very subjects. Thus while the Professors

in other institutions tend to strengthen such objections the aim of our Professors would be that they should refute such objections effectively.”

EdUCATIOn OF wOMEn

During the Annual Conference of 1944, in addressing the women, on 27 December, the Khalifatul Masih admonished the members of the newly established Association of Women that their first duty should be to establish literacy among all the women of the Movement. Their second step should be to take adequate measures to instruct all the women of the Movement in the principal commandments of Islam relating to the Salat, and fasting, etc. The third step should be that every woman should know the purport and meaning of the Salat, so that her worship should not be like the cry of a parrot, not knowing what she is saying. The last step should be that every woman should know the meaning of the Holy Qur’an. He stated:

“I would be satisfied only when everyone of you knows the meaning of the Holy

Qur’an, and I would be happy when every one of you not only knows the meaning of the Qur’an, but also understands the Qur’an, and I will be truly happy when everyone of you can expound the Holy Qur’an to other women, and my happiness would be even greater when God Almighty becomes a witness that all of you have understood the Holy Qur’an and are diligent in acting upon it.”