Interview of ABDULBABA by Shri B.V.N.

Swami
8th December, 1936

Abdul, Son of Sultan of Nanded in Khandesh, Aged about

65, Mussulman, residing at Shirdi says:
I came to Shirdi 45 years ago (1889) from Nanded on the
banks of Tapti. I was under the care of Fakir Amiruddin of Nanded.
SaiBaba appeared in the dream of that Fakir and delivering two man-
goes to him directed him to give those fruits to me and to send me to
Shirdi. Accordingly the Fakir told me of his dream, gave me the fruits
and bade me go to Sai Baba at Shirdi. I came here in my twentieth
year. Even Nana Saheb Chandorkar had not then come to Baba. Baba
welcomed me saying "mera kavala ala" i.e. My crow is come” Baba
directed me to devote myself entirely to his service. From the begin-
ning, I lighted and fed with oil five perpetual lamps i.e. those at
Lendi, Masjid, Chavadi, etc. As for food, Baba was not giving me or
any one else food. I got some food somehow and lived 5 or 6 years in
what is now the stable. I was always by Baba’s side rendering ser vice.
I read Koran near him at the mosque. Baba occasionally opened the
Koran and made me read the passages at which he opened the book.
He occasionally quoted passages from the Koran. I went on writing
down what Baba was uttering. This is the book (in Mahratti and
Modi script) which contains the gracious utterances of Baba. Every-
thing which fell from his lips is sacred.
I make use of this record in the following way. By Baba’s
blessings, I have full faith in what he has said guiding me and
every one aright. When any one wished to know about the future
or other unseen and unknown matter, he comes to me and states
the problem. Then I reverently consult this book of Baba’s utter-
ances and the answer that comes out of the page opened comes
out correct. This has been tried and proved many times. This gift
of prophecy is due to Baba’s grace. I shall give two instances of
such consultation. W hen the well in the Sai Mandir was dug,
the water proved brackish. Baba had attained Mahasamadhi
at that time. I consulted his utterance book. Baba’s reply was
that as a result of deeper digging the well water would be-
 come sweeter. I dug the well deeper by two feet and well water was
no more brackish. A second instance is Barrister Gadgil’s. He wanted
to know if his son would return from England. I said he would and
he did. I use this manuscript book of Baba’s utterances along with
and just like the Koran. I go on reading it reverently, getting ab-
sorbed in it and go on rolling my beads at the same time.
Baba sat behind what is now a pillar like structure at the Lendi
in which a “Nanda Deepam” or perpetual lamp is kept up. I found
generally that Baba sat behind the Lendi pillar which enclosed the
lamp and not infront. From there the lamp was not visible to him. I
never saw him gazing at that lamp. I was the person to do the re-
quired service at the Lendi and at other places fro Baba. I used to fill
pots with water and place them near Baba at the Lendi lamp place.
He would sit near two such potsful of water; and he would go on
pouring out the water in various directions. What that was for and
whether he would utter any mantra while doing so, I cannot say.
Except me none else was present when he poured out water as state
above.
I do not think that any other Mohammedan except myself
was reading Koran or other Holy books sitting by Baba’s side. Baba
would occasionally go on speaking out scared words and I have noted
them in this note book. By Baba’s order or permission I have taken
all this down. The writing can be read by you or other devotees. The
script is either Devanagari or Modi.
(N.B. Abdul hands over the notebook to B.V.N. who finds
they are in Mahratti language. There are prayers to Maruti in those
reports of speeches of Baba. There are recitals of the Avatars of God
dovetailing Mohammed and numerous others with the Hindu Dasa
Avatar. Quite obviously, Sri Sai baba and following him Abdul, re-
vere the Hindu Avatars, Maruti etc and pray to them).
As stated already I use these books not merely for daily read-
ing but also as “Sortes Virgiliani” for purposes of prophecy.
 10th March, 1938,
Shirdi
No Mussalmans came and read books like Koran and Shariff
to Baba or asked him for explanation. Several Fakirs and Saints came
here. But I do not know if he talked with them on Koran and Shariff.
I was busy with activities (physical) in the service of Baba, sweeping
and scavenging all streets here, and then read Koran etc., near Baba,
keeping awake all night. Baba’s practical advice to me was that I should
not go to sleep over my Koran reading. He said “Eat ver y little. Do
not go in for variety of eatables. A single sort i.e. dish will suffice. Do
not sleep much.” I followed the advice. I ate ver y little. I kept awake
all night and in a kneeling posture was going on repeating the Koran
etc., near Baba or meditating. Baba told me to have Dhyan on what
I read “Think of whom I am” he said to me.
One night I was tired and tried to sleep, holding my palms
infront of me to rest my drowsy head. Then Baba said “Are you try-
ing to see the Moon?” That night I fell asleep and fell upon Baba and
his gadi in that sleeping condition. Baba gently stroked my feet and
I awoke. Next day, strange to say when I took water in my palms and
looked, there was a big moon in that water. It was 2 p.m. This was
what Baba had spoken of. I used to look after the Lendi place and its
light i.e. the ever burning light maintained by Baba there. It was in
those days placed in a hollow in the earth scooped out to the depth
of about 2 feet and protected with a cover to save the light from
being blown out. There was pandal
a . A zinc sheet was the top of the
pandal . Some 20 cur tains of cloth were tied all round, to form some-
thing like a tent. I remained in it and looked after the lamp in the
centre of it. That light has been shifted from its place now, ver y slightly
, and is put in a raised pillar of bricks and mortar containing an
enclosed chamber for the lamp. When Baba sat near to lendi he
would sit close to the light. I filled two buckets with water and
placed them near him. This water he would scatter alround
that lamp. He would get up from the Lendi and walk a few
yards in each direction and go on gazing at the direction.
My service to Sai Baba was service to him and to all. I
washed Baba’s cloths in the streamlet (odai) flowing at the
village boundary. I swept the mosque, the chavadi and surrounding
places and lit the lamp in these places and fed them and the lendi
lamp with oil. I not merely swept the village streets but also removed
the night soil. Baba called me Halalkoor (scavenger) and “my
miriambi” I fetched water and did sundry services. Ayi during the
early years of her stay did part of the street sweeping work. Even
then, my work supplemented hers. Baba protected me and protects
me by giving me the needed food and ensuring my safety and progress.
About 1927 i.e. after Ayi and Baba passed away. I was in Ayi’s
sala, reciting Quran, The three walls of that dilapidated mud build-
ing suddenly collapsed and I was buried waist deep in the debris. But
Baba saved me from any hurt. Baba has given me his blessings and
kept me with him. First my Guru himself directed me to be with and
serve Baba, and I did so. But later my Guru came to Shirdi and wanted
me to go away with him. I replied that I could do so, if Baba so
ordered. But no such order having been issued I stayed on with Baba
and my former Guru went away from Shirdi. Baba’s blessings to me
were strange and sometimes concealed in abuse and violence. He has
beaten me and Jog many times. He said to me.
*1. Tereku dariyakupar uttar diya
2. Tere matti sunana bana diya
3. kya badi madi mandhiya
Like this, he uttered blessings and prophecies, seated before
me in the morning at the chavadi and then started for the mosque.
Baba was constantly saying many things about avatars etc.
These have been written down in this note book.
(Here Abdul takes out and shows an old book parts of
which are written in Devanagari character, parts in Modi and
parts in urdu. He does not wish to say who wrote out these
pages. His own kn owledge of these scripts, according to
some of his fellow-devotees is too poor to enable him to write these
well. But he went on, at the request of this writer to read out Baba’s
utterances from the book. Baba said of the Avatars, what follows:-
Baba said, First was Omkar. From Omkar Bhavakar.