First-person testimony · Part II

Abdul Baba

Context

Abdul Baba was Sai Baba's intimate Muslim attendant for many years. He had come to Shirdi as a youth, was deeply attached to Baba, and slept near him in the Chavadi. Many of the later devotional songs in Urdu and Marathi attribute their origin to instruction Baba gave Abdul.

The Satcharitra records him in several key episodes:

• Chapter 22 (Amir Shakkar's serpent). One midnight at the Chavadi Baba cried out: "Oh Abdul, some devilish creature is dashing against the side of My bed." Abdul examined Baba's bed and found nothing. Baba struck the ground with his Satka and asked him to bring the lantern near Amir Shakkar's cushion. The coil of a serpent was found moving its head up and down; it was killed.
• Chapter 34 (Dr. Pillay's guinea-worms). Baba had foretold: "A crow will come and peck you, and then you will recover." Abdul — who cleaned the masjid and trimmed the lamps — turned up while Baba and Pillay were talking; his foot accidentally fell on Pillay's stretched, swollen leg; the pressure squeezed out all seven guinea-worms at once. Baba: "Abdul was the crow."
• Chapter 35 (Balaji Newaskar's death-anniversary feast). Hemadpant lists Abdoola (Abdul Baba) as the third successor to Balaji Patil and Radha-Krishna Mai in sweeping the masjid streets daily.

About the 1936 statement

Abdul Baba's own 1936 statement at page 152 of Part II is one of Narasimha Swami's most important Muslim-witness accounts. Together with the testimonies of Abdul Rahim Rangari (p. 158), Rajaballi Khoja (p. 161), Adam Dalali (p. 163), and Imambai Chota Khan (Part III, p. 301), it preserves the masjid-side of Baba's ecumenical life.

Verbatim excerpt from Narasimha Swami (1940s)

at he did not wish to get involved in any Samsara (like sharing profits). So I gave up that idea. On another occasion, I went to Shirdi and there I expressly asked Baba if I could trade in grain, wheat etc. He said that the prices would fall and that I would have to sell at a lower price than the price at which I bought. I gave up that proposal. But when I mentioned the prophecy 142 of Baba to a merchant friend, he showed me the prophecy was falsi fied by the steady rise in prices for many days. But Srawan came and there were good rains. The prices suddenly fell and the grain storers had a serious loss. Baba saved me from that fate. I never started any transaction without getting sanction from Baba. When he was in the flesh, I went to Shirdi and asked him mentally. After 1918, I still consult him, by chits etc. and he guides me still. Once when I sat at his feet along with many others, I had two questions in my mind and he gave answers to both. I. There are so many crowding to Sai Baba. Do they all get benefit from him? To this he replied orally. “Look at the mango tree in blossom. If all flowers turned fruit what a splendid crop it would be.

Source: B. V. Narasimha Swami, Devotees' Experiences of Sri Sai Baba (All India Sai Samaj, Madras, 1940s; reprint Akhanda Sainama Sapthaha Samithi, Hyderabad). PDF on Internet Archive · OCR full text. Excerpt matched on the term: Abdul,. This is the canonical English excerpt; please consult the original PDF for context.