# Muslims Are a People of Principle | Imam Tom Weekly

**Author:** Tom Facchine
**Series:** Imam Tom Live
**Published:** 2025-04-03
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/MhGjAOAj8HI
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/imam-tom-live/muslims-are-a-people-of-principle-imam-tom-weekly
**Topics:** Culture, Family & Community, General Psychology, Psychology & Mental Health

## Description
"Why don’t you just leave?" It’s a question Muslims in the West hear all the time—sometimes even from fellow Muslims. If you believe in Islam, why not move to a so-called "Muslim country"? But is hijrah really the answer? Imam Tom Facchine unpacks the deeper issues behind this question, from the...

## Transcript
**[0:00]** Aliens Imagine for a second that aliens came down, if you believe in aliens. I don't really believe in aliens, but let's imagine for a second that there are aliens. Imagine if aliens came down from outer space and they looked at us, and they watched us.

**[0:18]** And you were to tell the aliens, or ask the aliens rather, say, Hey aliens, these people, they're called Muslims, and they say that they believe that Allah provides for them, that the Creator provides for them. Do they act like they believe that? And a lot of times the aliens I believe would say, No, these people don't act like it.

**[0:34]** They might teach it in their Sunday schools. They might say it on Fridays on the minbar. But when I watch the decisions they make, and when I watch the priorities they have, and I watch how afraid they are to do the right thing, just because it might come at a personal cost,

**[0:51]** it doesn't really look like they actually believe that. Your provision is already determined. Theological truths have a very important effect on how you live your life. But you have to do the work to make sure that you're constituted, that you're steeped in those theological truths,

**[1:09]** so that when the time comes that you live accordingly and do what Allah wants you to do. Whether it's speaking out, or standing up to something that's unjust, the majority of people, they're too worried about their paycheck. They're too worried about, What am I going to explain to my next job? Or I'm going to be blackballed, I'm going to be pushed out of the industry, whatever it is.

**[1:27]** That's not appropriate for a Muslim to think that way. We've been told in how many ayat that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the provider. Ar-Razzaq, the provision that you have coming to you is already written and determined, and there's nothing that you can do to change it.

**[1:42]** Even if you hide from it, even if you run away from it, it will find you. And so is it appropriate that a Muslim would then talk themselves into bending their knee, and bowing down to the false gods of this day and age, and not standing up for what is right because they're afraid that Allah won't provide for them?

**[1:58]** That shows an inadequacy and a failure to internalize theological truths. Allah tells us in the Quran that the one who threatens us with the prospect of poverty is the Shaitan. Ash-Shaytanu ya'idukum al-faqra wa ya'murukum bil-fahsha. The devil threatens us with poverty and orders us to commit indecency and indecent acts.

**[2:17]** One of the most important things for Muslims is to be people of principle, and to live according to our principles, no matter the cost. And we have examples, we have examples in the Quran. You have the believer of Pharaoh's court. Even better than the believer of Pharaoh's court, you have the magicians themselves. They have everything to lose.

**[2:33]** They get involved in the showdown with Musa (عليه السلام). They are compelled by Allah's truth, and they accept Islam, and Fir'aun immediately threatens to kill them in a very, very brutal way. What do they say? They say, you only have control in this world.

**[2:49]** They had the proper outlook. They understood. Why does Allah say so many times, especially in Surah Al-Baqarah, about exchanging or selling or bartering Allah's guidance for a cheap price? What does that mean? We hear those words, we nod along, like yeah, that's really bad. What does it look like?

**[3:05]** It looks like this. It looks like not living according to your principles, because you're afraid that someone's going to fire you or dox you. You had principles. You had guidance. Allah told you what to do. He told you to stand up for yourself and for what's true. And you're just going to throw that away, because you're afraid of monetary consequences.

**[3:23]** Allah is in control. Allah is in control. Allah is in control. And sometimes, you actually prevent yourself from reaching a higher station or a better opportunity,

**[3:38]** because you're not willing to fall and let Allah catch you. Allah is in control. And if you test it, you will find that Allah is in control, and Allah never allows the believers to be humiliated. Allah will always come to assist the people of truth.

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