Unravelling The Enigma – Shirdi Sai in the Light of Sufism is an exciting new piece of research which examines Sai Baba of Shirdi from the standpoint of Islamic mysticism – the Deccani Sufism of 19th century Maharashtra – in order to resolve the mystery surrounding the saint. Sai Baba is consistently described by his Hindu biographers as a ‘Muslim faqir’ and a mystic, which, by definition, makes him a Sufi. However, no previous researcher has examined him thoroughly in this light. The author assumes that the reader will have some familiarity with previous biographies of Shirdi Sai Baba, and she reviews incidents, anecdotes and sayings of the hagiography surrounding Sai Baba, in the light of the goals, practices and stories of the Sufis from the golden era of Sufism, and discovers that an amazing similarity and correspondence begins to emerge. Immediately the more puzzling aspects of the saint’s actions and sayings fall away, and Sai Baba himself becomes more understandable, attractive and lovable.
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