‘What Will You Do by Becoming a Doctor? Become a Religious Scholar’: The Remark That Changed Maulana Tariq Jamil’s Life

LAHORE: Renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil has recalled the significant turning point in his life when a young man’s simple remark led him to abandon his plans to become a doctor and pursue religious education.

Speaking during a recent conversation, Maulana Tariq Jamil said his father wanted him to become a doctor because the profession was considered a symbol of respect and prestige at the time.

According to him, his father was a simple man with a rural background who would often say that becoming a doctor offered “great respect and great wealth.”

Maulana Tariq Jamil said he was studying at Government College Lahore, now known as Government College University Lahore, when a friend took him along for three days of religious preaching.

However, what was initially supposed to be a three-day trip continued for nearly four months.

He recalled that during this period, a young man told him, “What will you do by becoming a doctor? Become a religious scholar.”

Maulana Tariq Jamil said the young man’s words deeply affected him and that he subsequently developed an inclination towards religious education.

Recalling his return home, he said he informed his father about his decision. According to Maulana Tariq Jamil, when his father returned home on the morning of November 23, 1972, he became extremely angry and told him, “If you want to become a cleric, then leave the house.”

He described the incident as a defining moment that ultimately changed the course of his life and led him towards religious scholarship.