Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin - Khalifatul-Masih I — Page 123
Hadrat Maulw i Nur-ud-D i n ra — Khalifatul Masih I WISE COUNSELLOR 123 the medium for higher education in India. Unfortunately Muslim divines declared that the learning of English was contrary to Islam. This imposed a further handicap upon the Muslims, so that while non-Muslims took full advantage of the facilities that became available for higher education, the Muslims fell progressively behind. Incidentally, their lack of knowledge of English disqualified them from employment in Government offices and institutions, which were monopolised by non-Muslims. Total lack of enlightened leadership was the most serious privation of the Muslims. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, Sir Sayyid Ahmad Kh a n, who later became known familiarly and affectionately as Sir Sayyid, having diagnosed modern education as the most urgent need of the Muslims, dedicated himself to filling that need as far as he could. He gathered round him a band of equally devoted colleagues, who were inspired by the same ideals as himself, and established a college of higher education at ‘Al i garh which he named Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. It attracted students from all over India and became the premier Muslim educational institution in the country. It was affiliated to the University of Alah a b a d and later was itself chartered as the Muslim University of ‘Al i garh. The stimulus thus provided by Sir Sayyid spread to other parts of the country also and Muslim students began to resort eagerly to local institutions of higher education. Maulaw i N u r-ud-D i n ra appreciated Sir Sayyid’s devoted efforts in the cause of Muslim education, and contributed generously towards them. On his side Sir Sayyid held him in high esteem and greatly valued his co-operation. Sir Sayyid was asked: "When an illiterate