(Baba used to quote some passages from the Koran and immediately Abdul was writing
down in a book, called "the utterances of Baba". Abdul considered it as a very sacred
book. He used to consult this book for the purpose of prophecy. Baba used to pour
water and move in different directions perhaps with chanting of mantras in Lendibagh
at noon time & at that time nobody was allowed to move in that area except Abdul
who had the rare privilege).
Abdul was born in 1871 at Nanded on the banks Tapti river in Khandesh and was the
son of Sultan of Nanded. He was staying with Sufi fakir Amiruddin in Nanded. He
came to Shirdi at the age of 18 years in 1889. When he was staying with fakir Amiruddin
in Nanded, Sai Baba appeared in the dream of fakir Amiruddin, delivered two mangoes
to him and asked him to deliver the mangoes to Abdul and send him to Shirdi. Amiruddin
was surprised to find two ripe mangoes materialized near him and gave the mangoes
to Abdul and sent him immediately to Sai Baba at Shirdi.
Accordingly Abdul came to Shirdi and when he arrived in the masjid, Baba welcomed
him, saying "mera kavala aala" “My crow has come”. Baba used to call him as "Mera
Cowa", my crow or "Halalkhor", scavenger. Baba asked him to devote his services
entirely for Baba.
Accordingly, he was cleaning the masjid, feeding oil to the lamps
in the masjid, lendibagh and chavadi. He was also sweeping and cleaning all streets
near the masjid. Baba also called him as scavenger. He was living in the area adjoining
the masjid which later became the stable. He was continuously attending on Baba
and rendering all the services with devotion to Baba. Baba advised him to eat less
and sleep for shorter time which he followed.
He used to read the Koran sitting near Baba in the masjid. Baba now and then used
to open a page in Koran and would ask him to read that page and some times used
to quote some other passages from the Koran and immediately Abdul was writing down
in a book all the utterances that were coming from the mouth of Baba. Abdul used
to write the utterances of Baba in the book either in Devanagari or in Modi(Marathi
Shorthand) script. Baba told him about Islam and Sufism occasionally.
The utterances may pertain to Muslim and Sufi principles with a number of quotations
in Arabic. The fact that Baba was familiar with both the Islamic and Sufi traditions
has been brought out by this utterances book.
He noted down all such statements
that came out from the mouth of Baba for the purpose of preserving them as they
were considered as sacred.
This book became to be known as Baba’s utterances book
and Abdul considered it as a very sacred book.
Later on this book was found very
useful in that whenever any person facing any problem and desirous of knowing the
solution and the outcome in the future, was approaching him and Abdul was opening
the book and the page that was opened would give solution and tell the future and
the solutions indicated proved correct in several cases. In many cases, this book
was used for the purpose of prophecy also. Once, Mr.Gaadgil, a lawyer approached
Abdul and asked him regarding his son that whether he would return from England
or permanently settle there? Abdul referred the book and told him that he would
return. And this proved to be true. His son returned to India with his English wife
and kids. In course of time, Abdul became as Abdul Baba. An attempt was made in
1997 by Marianne Warren and V.B.Kher who tried to transliterate into English Baba's
utterances book as written down in Devanagari and Urdu scripts by Abdul Baba. In
this attempt they came to know that the utterances have revealed Baba's wonderful
knowledge of Islam and Sufism.
Dr.Pillai was an ardent devotee, who was suffering from pain due to guinea-worms
in his leg. He once told Kakasaheb Dixit that his pain became most excruciating
and that he would prefer death to suffering with pain and he also expressed that
he knew that his severe suffering was due to his past karma and asked Dixit to convey
to Baba his feelings and request Baba to stop the pain and transfer the working
of his past Karma (actions in previous births) to ten of his future births. Dixit
went to Baba and told him his request.
Then Baba, being moved by his request, said
to Dixit,"Tell him to be fearless. Why should he suffer for ten births? In ten days
he can work out the sufferings and consequences of his past Karma. While I am here
to give him temporal and spiritual welfare, why should he pray for death? Bring
him here on somebody's back and let us work and finish his sufferings once for all".
The doctor was brought in that condition and was seated on Baba's right side. Baba
gave him the bolster and asked him to stretch his legs and lie down comfortably.
Baba also said that a crow would come and peck you, and then he would recover. While
this conversation was going on, Abdul Baba who always cleaned the masjid and trimmed
the lamps, turned up in the masjid. While Abdul was attending to his work of trimming,
his foot accidentally fell upon the stretched leg of Dr. Pillai. The leg was already
swollen and when Abdul's foot fell upon it and pressed it, all the seven guinea-worms
were squeezed out at once.
The pain at once became unbearable and Dr. Pillai bawled out loudly. After some
time, he calmed down and began to sing and cry alternately. Then Pillai enquired
when the crow would come for pecking. Baba said, "Did you not see the crow? He won't
come again. Abdul was the crow. Now go and rest yourself in the Wada and you will
be soon all right." By application of the udi and by taking it in the stomach with
water, and without taking any other treatment or medicine, the disease was completely
cured in ten days as promised by Baba.
In the Lendibagh where Nanda Deep was kept, Baba used to sit behind the Lendi pillar
and Abdul used to keep near Baba two pots full of water. Baba sitting near the pots,
would go on pouring the water in various directions. Baba also would get up from
the Lendi place and walk few steps in each direction and go on gazing towards that
direction. What Baba was doing was not known to any body and it was also not known
whether Baba, while pouring the water and moving in that direction, was chanting
any mantras. No body was allowed to move in that area at that mid day time when
Baba was doing these offerings except Abdul who had the rare privilege of observing
such rare events. Baba advised him to eat less and sleep for few hours only and
also advised him to understand the Koran while reading it.
Even after Baba’s Mahasamadhi,
Baba was protecting Abdul Baba. In about 1927 Abdul Baba was staying in the thatched
mud house where Radhakridhna Mai was staying earlier. That was a very old cottage.
Dr.Pillai was an ardent devotee, who was suffering from pain due to guinea-worms
in his leg. He once told Kakasaheb Dixit that his pain became most excruciating
and that he would prefer death to suffering with pain and he also expressed that
he knew that his severe suffering was due to his past karma and asked Dixit to convey
to Baba his feelings and request Baba to stop the pain and transfer the working
of his past Karma (actions in previous births) to ten of his future births. Dixit
went to Baba and told him his request. Then Baba, being moved by his request, said
to Dixit,"Tell him to be fearless. Why should he suffer for ten births? In ten days
he can work out the sufferings and consequences of his past Karma. While I am here
to give him temporal and spiritual welfare, why should he pray for death? Bring
him here on somebody's back and let us work and finish his sufferings once for all".
Once it so happened that Abdul Baba was reading the Koran in that mud house and
suddenly the cottage collapsed and he was almost buried in the debris. However,
he was not injured due to Baba’s Grace.
After the Mahasamadhi of Baba, Abdul was
taking care of and looking after the shrine of Baba till 1922. He was cleaning,
decorating the shrine with flowers and performing other ritual services. After the
offering of food to Baba as prasadam, he was getting a portion of prasadam for his
sustenance and he was receiving and living on the dakshina offered by the devotees.
He was also living in a room in the shrine. This system continued till 1922. Dixit,
staunch devotee of Baba approached in 1922 the Ahmednagar District Court for permission
to set up a Public Trust to administer the shrine and got permission from the Court.
At this stage, Abdul Baba, induced by some of his well wishers, approached the Court,
claiming that he was the legal heir to Sai Baba and that he had every right to manage
the shrine and thus challenged the formation of the Trust. The court with Baba’s
Grace held that there was no Math or Ashram and that there was no heir or successor
to Sai Baba and that no body was entitled as heir or successor to Sai Baba. Thus
he lost the case and consequently was prevented from having any connection with
the maintenance of the shrine. He was refused free food and asked to vacate the
room occupied by him in the shrine. After some time, the Sansthan relaxed these
severe restrictions and Abdul Baba was allowed again to participate in the maintenance
of the shrine till his death in April 1954.
Abdul Baba lived for 36 years after
Mahasamadhi of Baba and served Baba for the longest period till 1954. After his
death in 1954, he was buried in the complex of Samadhi Mandir near Lendibhag. His
original small dwelling house was located just opposite to the Chavadi. The main
room in that house was converted as a memorial to the memory of Abdul Baba and visitors
can visit and pay homage to Abdul Baba. He was an ankitha baktha who devoted his
entire life in the service to Baba.
The pain at once became unbearable and Dr. Pillai bawled out loudly. After some
time, he calmed down and began to sing and cry alternately. Then Pillai enquired
when the crow would come for pecking. Baba said, "Did you not see the crow? He won't
come again. Abdul was the crow.
The court with Baba’s Grace held that there was no Math or Ashram and that there
was no heir or successor to Sai Baba and that no body was entitled as heir or successor
to Sai Baba. Thus he lost the case and consequently was prevented from having any
connection with the maintenance of the shrine. He was refused free food and asked
to vacate the room occupied by him in the shrine. After some time, the Sansthan
relaxed these severe restrictions and Abdul Baba was allowed again to participate
in the maintenance of the shrine till his death in April 1954.
Abdul Baba lived
for 36 years after Mahasamadhi of Baba and served Baba for the longest period till
1954. After his death in 1954, he was buried in the complex of Samadhi Mandir near
Lendibhag. His original small dwelling house was located just opposite to the Chavadi.
The main room in that house was converted as a memorial to the memory of Abdul Baba
and visitors can visit and pay homage to Abdul Baba. He was an ankitha baktha who
devoted his entire life in the service to Baba.