ShirdiSaiBaba

The second impediment is more interesting. Baba had both Hindu and Muslim features in his body and in his actions and practice. His mission in life was to unify Hindus and Muslims into one compact mass with common religious, spiritual and worldly interests. As he had a Hindu Guru, namely, Gopal Rao Deshmukh alias Venkatesa or Venkusa, he was considered fitted to guide his Hindu followers. According to public opinion, to guide his Muslim followers, initiation into Islamic scripture by a Maulana was essential. So, his destiny had to be fulfilled by his getting a second Guru, a Muslim. Jawar Ali Maulana was a distinguished Maulana of the last century, residing some time at Rahata. He had extraordinary ability and learning, but had disagreed with his followers at Rahata. He came to Shirdi and noted that Baba had large Hindu followers who worshipped him, and that too in a mosque. He called upon Baba to come out of the Mosque and asked him whether he knew the Koran and the Shariat. Baba had learnt neither. So Jawar Ali Maulana ordered him to accompany him to Rahata and Baba was living there with his Guru for about two months. The Guru initiated him into the mysteries of Islamic spiritual literature. Baba did humble seva to his Guru, carrying water pots, fetching firewood, lighting up fire, and doing hard physical labor, which others would complain of. But in the case of Baba, he accepted his position as the disciple of Jawar Ali with perfect sincerity and underwent with sweet complacency the entire ordeal and the course of training given to him. The villagers of Shirdi headed by Mahlsapathy who were very anxious to have Baba back again permanently settled at Shirdi requested the Maulana to allow them to take Sai Baba with them. The Maulana agreed this to on the condition that along with Baba he should also be taken to Shirdi, and that both he and Baba should be fed and supported by the villagers of Shirdi. So both came and lived at the Shirdi Mosque. Some time later, Jawar Ali was drawn deliberately into a dispute with Devadas, a noted Hindu saint, living in a chavadi at Shirdi. During debate, Devads’s questions cornered Jawar Ali. The latter had to make so many admissions that the surrounding spectators were bursted to laughter. Jawar Ali, offended by this humiliation, left Shirdi and did not return there forever.