Given the Chavadi's terrible condition, why would Sai Baba insist that his devotee Amir Shakkar, who had rheumatism, stay there?

The decision to have Amir Shakkar stay in the Chavadi highlights a key aspect of Sai Baba's teachings: the triumph of inner faith over external conditions. Chapter 22 vividly describes the Chavadi as old, dilapidated, damp, and filled with garbage and pests. For Amir, who had rheumatism, it was a place of misery. Baba's instruction to stay there was a profound test, with his firm words being to not "weigh" the difficult conditions. By enduring this nine-month stay, which felt like a prison, Amir demonstrated his faith. The reward was immense spiritual proximity to Baba, including automatic darshan and private conversations. Externally it was imprisonment, but internally it was "firm companionship with Sai," a benefit described as a rare fortune.