Abdulla Baba

By: Bondada Janardhana Rao

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 noontime and 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 bank of the Tapti river in Khandesh and was the son of the Sultan of Nanded. His father was conferred with the title of ‘Sultan’ and called ‘Chotu Sultan of Nanded’ village. Abdul was married to Umran Rao Bi and had a son. He was staying with Sufi fakir, Amiruddin Baba in Nanded. When he was staying with fakir Amiruddin in Nanded, Sai Baba appeared in 1889 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 Baba 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. He came to Shirdi at the age of 18 years in the year 1889.

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 “Mera Cowa”, my crow, or “Halalkhor”, scavenger. Baba asked him to devote his services entirely to Baba. Accordingly, he was cleaning the masjid, feeding oil to the lamps in the masjid, Lendi Bagh, and Chavadi. He was also sweeping and cleaning all streets near the masjid. 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 a shorter time which he followed. In Shirdi he worked as a dedicated Sevak, doing all kinds of menial jobs. Having no money he even begged for his food. He strictly followed Baba’s instructions ‘eat little and sleep little’.

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 sometimes 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 many 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 to preserve them as they were considered as sacred. This book came 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 to provide the purpose of prophecy also. Once, Mr.Gadgil, a lawyer approached Abdul and asked him regarding his son that whether he would return from England or permanently settle there? Abdul referred to 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. Over time, Abdul came to be known 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 over suffering from 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 him, 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 Lendi Bagh 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 a few steps in each direction and go on gazing towards that direction. What Baba was doing was not known to anybody and it was also not known whether Baba while pouring the water and moving in that direction, was chanting any mantras. Nobody 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 a 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 Radhakrishna Mai was staying earlier. That was a very old cottage. 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, a 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 nobody 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 Lendi Bhag. His original small dwelling house is located just across from 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 bhakta who devoted his entire life in the service to Baba.