Our alma mater, the esteemed institution – Talim-ul-Islam College, where we have all studied, was founded by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih II, in 1944 at Qadian to fulfil the wish of Hazrat Masih-e-Maood Alaih-e-Salam, who wanted that people should not only learn true Islam, but also learn the so-called secular branches of knowledge, particularly the material sciences.This was a time when the then Muslim Ulema in India had alomst unanimously declared that acquiring Western Education leads to atheism. It was at in these times that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, founded the Ali Garh Muslim University, in spite of vehement opposition from the Muslim clerics. Financial resources of the small Ahmadiyya community at the start of the 20th century were extremely limited. So the dream of Hazrat Masih-e-Maood could not materialise then.
But as soon as the finances of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat improved, the College started in the beautiful building that belonged to T. I. High School, for which a new building was erected. Most of the professors and the Principal, Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Nasir Ahmad himsself, were Waqifeen (Life devotees).
Hardly three years had passed, when the college had its first major crises. The sub-continent was divided and the college had to vacate its building at Qadian. The the homeless college had to migrate to Pakistan. The determined leadership of its founder, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, ordered that the college must resume its function immediately, whereever a shelter was found. So the college found refuge in an abanded building near the Forman Christian College. It looked like an animal shed, without doors and windows. An arrangement was made with F.C.College, whose principal permitted the use of his science labs and in return our professors taught their classes, since most of their own staff had left for India. The College authorities remained looking for a more suitable building. Soon an ideal place was found. It was the building vacated by the D.A.V. college, near Government College and District Courts Lahore. It was a good location, but since the buidling had been used as a refugee camp for several month, it was in ruins. It was adequately repaired and college had once again a comfortalbe campus. Thanks to the charismatic leadership of the Pincipal Hazrat Mirza Nasir Amad and the devotion of his colleagues, the teaching staff, T. I. College attained a position of respect among colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab. Its achievements, both in the academic and athletic fields, were beyond expectation of a young institution with limited resources that had been rendered homeless within three years after its inception. But the college had to undergo still another test. The father of the college, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II, directed that the college be shifted to Rabwah. The financail means of the Jamaat were extremely limited, but the determination of its leadership was not. If I remember correctly, Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, used to say that the Khalifatul Masih II, gave him Rs 50.000 for construction of the building and told him to ask for no more money. That meant the Principal had to use every penny sparingly. He decided to personally supervise the construction during the summer vacation. He used to stand in the scorching heat of summer, that threatened his health. He therefore purchased a sun umbrella. When the bill went for authorisation, the auditor objected that an umbrella could not be bought for the principal with the funds meant for construction. So stringent were the checks on spending the money of the Jamaat. Anyway, the college shifted to its new campus in Rabwah in 1954. Some of its staff could not shift to Rabwah and decided to remain in Lahore. Professsors Maqbool Elahi, Faiz-ur-Rehman Faizi, Abbas bin Abdul Qadir had were teaching in the Punjab University, beside being permanent members of the T.I. College staff. They decided not to come to Rabwah. Professors like Mohammad Yaqoob and Motasim Himayatull (both non Ahmadis) shifted with the college. But the college maintainted the tempo of its progress at Rabwah. Some photographs of the opening ceremony performed by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II are given on the website elsewhere.
(to be continued)
