Widad University College (formerly known as University College Shahputra) began with the establishment of Institut Fitra on December 24, 1997 and was fully owned by the Shahputra Education Sdn Bhd, a private Bumiputera company. TESL and Accounting Matriculation students from UPM are among the first groups of students of the institute, registered in June 1998. Following the promising increase in the number of students, Institut Fitra moved to an 8 hectares area in Pekan, Pahang.