Christian Puritans Vs Muslim Puritans Poem by Mohammad Yousef

By Mohammad A. Yousef

In the quiet corners of a crowded world,
Two fervent fires burn, each flame distinct,
Yet both are caught in shadows, dim and severe,
Their banners high, their voices strong,
Claiming the hearts of their faithful throngs.

The Christian Puritans, with their solemn hymns,
Wear their beliefs like a cloak of duty,
Each word is a brick laid in a wall,
Fortresses against the storms of doubt,
Steering the ship of life with rigid hands,
Rejecting pleasure, praying for grace,
Counting sins like stones, heavy in the heart,
Guided by the Book, where answers are sought,
But the pages feel cold, and the spirits worn thin,
In search of a love that often hides,
Striving for purity in the fog of daily strife.

Across the ocean, the Muslim Puritans rise,
With a rhythm steady as the desert sand,
Prayers rising like the sun at dawn,
Five times a day, an echo of longing,
Holding tight to the rules, carved in time,
Seeking peace within the lines, with devotion ablaze,
Yet the weight of tradition can press down,
Muffled voices crying for a gentler touch,
Could faith be a bridge and not a clasp?
A call for kindness instead of chains,
Filling the heart with grace, not fear's embrace.

Both tread paths lined with thorns and gold,
Determined souls under watchful skies,
Dancing within the borders of their rules,
Wrestling with what freedom means,
Is it power or surrender, is it shelter or cage?
And each heart beats, looking for light,
Searching for the warmth beyond the doctrine,
Where hope may blossom, vast and free,
Yet choked by shadows of old decrees.

In homes and hallways, they share the same space;
Coffee and bread, stories of love,
A smile that breaks the hard, cold lines,
But ideology sharpens like a knife,
Clashing softly with whispering fears,
Dimmed faces trying to shine through heavy clouds,
The yearning for connection, a hand to hold,
While the tales of difference echo on,
Underneath the harsh glare of a judgmental sun.

What if we dared to see beyond the creed,
An embrace rather than an angry shout?
What if joy, not rules, was our guiding star,
Wouldn't our hearts beat in a similar song?
In a world where belief is the stiffest stronghold,
Making us blind to warmth, to touch, to grace,
Together we might weather the stormy seas,
A tapestry woven with threads of understanding,
Finding peace in the shadows, where the sun shines through,
Turning religion from a rule into a light.