Hazrat Masih-e-Maood (as) had a strong desire to have a college at Qadian. As a matter of fact he laid its foundation by starting Talim-ul-Islam Middle School in 1897 which was upgraded to High School level in 1900. The college was opened in 1903, but had to be closed down, because it did not meet the requirements of the Punjab University. Hazrat Masih-e-Maood’s wish was realised in 1944, when Hazrat Musleh Maood laid the foundation of what was soon to become one of the most prestigious colleges of the University of the Punjab. Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmad M. A. (Oxon) was appointed its principal and college was housed in the spacious building of the Talim-ul-Islam High School, for which a new building was erected. The photo below shows the founder of the college with his son the first principal, who steered the college through its most critical phases in 1947, when the college became homeless as a result of partition of the sub continent. After restarting in an abandoned horse stabel for a couple of months, it shifted to the abandoned building of the D. A. V. College in Lahore. This building had been used as a refugee camp for some time and had been badly damaged. It was adequately repaired to suit the needs of the college. The year 1955 was still another trial year for the young institution, when the college was shifted to its ultimate campus at Rabwah.
The college was opened at Qadian in 1944, with Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmad as Principal.
After having been elected as Khalifatul Masih, in his farewell speech, Hazur said: ” I have reared this college as my own child and the college will always remain dear to my heart.” (These are not the exact words, but I have conveyed the gist of what he said.) The staff in the beginning included Prof. Akhwand Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Prof. Yahya bin Isa, Prof. Abdul Rehman Nasir, Prof. Syed Fazal Ahmad (who later joined the Indian Police Service and rose to the rank of an Inspector General). Dr. Abdul Ahad, who later headed the Fazal-e-Omer Research Institute) Prof. Mian Ata-ur-Rehman, Prof. Sufi Basharat-ur-Rehman, Prof. Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, Prof. Dr. Sultan Mahmood Shahid, Prof. Sheikh Mahboob Alam Khalid, Prof. Ata-ur-Rehman Ghani, Prof. Abbas bin Abdul Qadir, Prof. Mohammad Safdar, Maulan Arjumand Khan and Maulana Ghulam Ahmad Badhomallhi.