Was Sai Baba a Hindu or Muslim? – Experiences of Abdul
Abdul was a devotee and servitor of Sai Baba and had an opportunity to stay in close contact with him. Born in 1869, initially he was a servitor of Amiruddin fakir of Nanded. A mysterious event happened in 1889. Sai Baba appeared in the dream of Amiruddin, materialized two real mangoes and told him to give them to Abdul and send Abdul to Shirdi. On his arrival in Shirdi, exclaimed Sai Baba, ‘My crow has come’. From the beginning Sai Baba initiated Abdul in the task of service. It was the responsibility of Abdul to keep lamps burning perpetually at five placed in Shirdi, viz. Lendi, Masjid, Chavadi etc.
When Sai Baba went to the Lendi Abdul would keep two pots filled with water near Sai Baba. Sitting opposite the Nandadeep at the Lendi Sai Baba would make offerings of water to different directions. Sai Baba had charged Abdul with many other duties such as sweeping all the roads near the Masjid and Chavadi, washing Sai Baba’s clothes at the stream near the northern boundary, fetching water etc. As Abdul would clean the human refuse on the streets Sai Baba would lovingly call him a scavenger. For all the services rendered by Abdul, Sai Baba undertook the responsibility for his spiritual progress. Abdul would read the Koran sitting near Sai Baba. Some times Sai Baba would open the Koran at any page and ask Abdul to read. Some times Sai Baba would also ask Abdul occasionally to remain awake the whole night and go on reading the Koran. Sai Baba had exhorted him to have only one or two dishes in his food and to observe restraint and moderation in eating and sleeping. Abdul would abide by Sai Baba’s exhortation.
From Abdul’s unpublished works in Urdu it is clear and beyond doubt that Sai Baba had a profound knowledge of the Islamic religion and civilization including Sufism, the Koran, Sira (the life of Muhammad), Sunna (his code of conduct), hadith (the traditions), the fakah (dharmashastra), Shariat, the tarikat etc. like any learned Muslim divine or Sufi Sheikh. Just as Sai Baba could explain, elaborate, and comment with insight into the deeper meaning, on the Vedas, the Upanishads, Bhagwat Gita and works of saints in Prakrit, similarly he was at equal ease with all Muslim religious works and traditions including works of Sufi Sheikhs of orders like Kadaria, Chistia, Suhrawardiya and Nakshbandi etc. In fact his range of knowledge was fantastic and incredible and passes all comprehension. At page 82 of the Urdu manuscript of Abdul (unpublished) there is entry of which the following is an English translation:
“Friends, how is it possible to fathom the inner mind of Sai Baba if one cannot understand even the outward appearance (form) of Sai Baba? If it be said that he is a Muslim, his ears are pricked, it be said that he is a Hindu, he dwells in the Masjid, repeats the name “Allah Malik” and distributes cooked meat as prasad (consecrated food). In his inner being does he contemplate the Vedas, Puranas, Gita or the Koran, Fakah? Only God Knows. So Sai Baba’s leela (sport) is wonderful. Amir, a Muslim devotee, wishes to sing the praises of Sai Baba, but does he have the capacity to do so? Sai Baba’s durbar is that of a Kalandar (Muslim fakir). It is not a muth of Hindu swami. His slave Abdul regards him as his Murshid (Guru).”
Sai Baba was a unique and rare blend of all faiths of the world. For him there were no barriers of religion, sect, race, sex, caste, creed, language and nation. He confirmed every devotee who came to him in his own faith and spiritual practices suited to his level of development and exhorted all by precept and example to be tolerant and charitable to others who were not of their faith and followed practices and ways appearing strange to them. Sai Baba founded no sect of his own and nor did he establish any seat nor leave any heir. He was against conversion. When a Hindu converted to Islam was taken to him he got angry, slapped him and said, “Aren’t you ashamed to change your father? The Muslim fundamentalists around him disliked his staying in the Masjid and yet allowing himself to be worshipped according to Hindu practices. However, when they were overpowered by his spiritual prowess, fearlessness, courage and other divine qualities, they had no option but to accept him as he was and yet to honour him for his spiritual eminence as an Aulia of the highest order. Today his shrine is a place of pilgrimage for lakhs of devotees of diverse faiths a majority of them are no doubt Hindu including Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists but there is a sprinkling of Zoroastrians, Muslims and Christians among them too.
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(This article is an extract of the article “Sai Baba and the Sufis” written by V. B. Kher from the book “Shri Shirdi Sai Baba – The Unique Prophet of Integration”)
