Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth and Henry Corbin

I went through a Joseph Campbell stage of my faith walk, an intellectual freeing that enabled me to see something beyond what I thought was just crazy belief.  It was this book that opened my eyes to the power of "myth" (not in the sense of make believe but in the sense of symbol pointing to a deeper reality).

However, there was one sentence I remembered and it only came blazing into my brain after becoming immersed in the world of born-again Christianity and Islam.  Campbell completely, at least in this book, overlooks, ignores, and is even ignorant of, the power of these traditions in the lives of the faithful. 

"MOYERS: Is there something like this common in the experience of our culture? I'm thinking particularly of the born-again experience in our Southern culture.

CAMPBELL: There must be. This is an actual experience of transit through the earth to the realm of mythological imagery, to God, to the seat of power. I don't know what the born-again Christian experience is...."

Now, I'm not sure if he ever discusses the born again Christian experience anywhere else in his writings but this little statement is a powerhouse.  Granted, the man could not be expert on every religion everywhere ever but this little lacunae is significant.

I've noticed also that in all the pleading in Henry Corbin's writing and those who interpret him (e.g. Tom Cheetham), he too seems unaware of the born-again Christian's emphasis on living in the "spirit".  Those things he pleads for are in fact sought by born-again Christians. 

It's an interesting parallel worth looking into.  I am hoping to continue this line of thinking as I finish Tom Cheetham's remarkable Green Man, Earth Angel.

The Spirit bloweth where it listeth...

As much as I am not a fan of interfaithism, that all religions are the same mantra of the post-modern world, in studying "other" religions it can be an astounding thing when a particular piece of Scripture opens the spiritual eyes, awakening the soul from slumber.

"Time and time again My messages were recited to you, but you turned arrogantly on your heels, and spent the evening making fun of [the Qur an]." (S 23:66-67, Haleem trans.)

"Time and again were My messages conveyed unto you, but [every time] you would turn about on your heels [and,] impelled by your arrogance, you would talk senselessly far into the night." (Asad trans.)

One of the things that often troubled me about Islam was its ban on music. I understand the dangers to the faithful as the 'spirit' that drives musicians is often far from edifying to the soul. But to ban it outright? That's silly as it takes away man's freedom to choose.

However, while reading the passage above I realized the "meaning" behind the prohibition. It wasn't something new; it merely reinforced what I already know. I have found that the Qur'an speaks on this level; it points out what is already there.

I do understand context and the historical setting of each revelation. But there is often something universal about particular situations.

In the pursuit of God, music can easily be a distraction, sensual pleasure, though not necessarily "harmful" as such, something that keeps us lulling about from the task of pursuing God. So what is a prohibition in our best interest, when legislated, can become an enslaving tool.

But it hit me as I drove in to work this morning while listening to my tunes that I wasn't necessarily "into" them; they didn't speak to me as they used to. No, my soul was longing for something that wasn't there. So as I drove it became more and more of a distraction, my soul longing for something deeper, my "soulical" nature clinging to the sound of the music.

And again:

"But there is the sort of person who pays for distracting tales, intending, without any knowledge, to lead others from God’s way, and to hold it up to ridicule." (S 31:6, Haleem)

"But among men there is many a one that prefers a mere play with words [to divine guidance], so as to lead [those) without knowledge astray from the path of God, and to turn it to ridicule..." (Asad trans.)

And, of course, to read The Noble Qur'an as promoted by the Saudi Arabian promoted translation:

"And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allah, or the Verses of the Qur'an) by way of mockery."

And the hadith to justify this translation:

"Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari that he heard the Prophet saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection." (Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 69, Number 494) 

I'd rather not go into the hadith thing but this is a spirit killer.  It removes personal choice from the matter and becomes a weapon to wield in the eyes of those who uphold the Law.

I'll stick with the Haleem/Asad translation and follow the Traditionalist school of Islam 'cause the "traditional" school of Islam is a death sentence.