Can Fear of Fitnah Justify Trying to Get a Female Coworker Fired?

Question: Assalamu ‘alaykum Sheikh. I am a man, and at my workplace, a female colleague often wears revealing clothing and behaves in a way that causes fitnah for men. After she won a staff award, I privately told her manager that she had asked people to vote her and made it seem that she won undeservedly. My real intention was to create resentment between them so the manager might pressure her, dismiss her, or cause her to leave. I now fear that I committed namimah, backbiting, deception, and injustice, even though my motive was to remove fitnah. Was what I did haram? Does concern about fitnah justify such an action? How should I repent and correct the harm? Must I tell the manager that I spoke unfairly and that I do not know whether the woman won undeservedly?

Summary:

What the questioner did is not permissible if he deliberately intended to harm his female colleague, damage her relationship with her manager, and lead the manager to believe, without knowledge or proof, that she did not deserve the award, intending that she be dismissed or harmed. Such conduct may involve backbiting, tale-bearing, slander if the statement was untrue, deception, and injustice. A mere desire to remove temptation does not justify this, because the Sharia commands that evil be removed through lawful means, not through injustice, lying, and corruption. As for repentance, it consists of abandoning the sin, regretting it, resolving never to return to it, and removing the effects of the wrongdoing as much as possible. If his words caused her actual harm, he must strive to remove that harm in a manner that does not result in a greater evil.

Answer:

First: Fear of temptation does not justify injustice

If a woman is displaying her adornment or is negligent regarding her clothing, then this is an evil that should be condemned through the legislated means, such as lowering one's gaze, advising her with wisdom if possible, or reporting the matter to the administration if it relates to a violation of workplace regulations or public standards of conduct. However, it is not permissible to fabricate reasons to cause her to be treated unjustly or dismissed from her job.

From the Qur'an:

[Surah Al-Ma'idah: 8]
"O you who believe! Stand firmly for Allah as witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people cause you to act unjustly. Be just; that is nearer to piety."
Thus, hostility toward, or dislike of, someone's sin does not permit abandoning justice.

Second: What the questioner fell into: If he told the manager that she did not deserve the award, or gave him that impression without knowledge, intending to damage the relationship between her and her manager, then this falls under several prohibited matters: 1. Backbiting, assuming she is a Muslim.

From the Qur'an:

[Surah Al-Hujurat: 12]
"And do not backbite one another."

From the Sunnah:

Sahih MuslimIt is narrated from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Mentioning about your brother that which he dislikes."

2. Slander (Buhtan) If he did not know whether she truly deserved the award, or falsely gave the manager that impression, then,

From the Sunnah:

Sahih Muslimthe Prophet ﷺ said:
"If what you say about him is true, then you have backbitten him; but if it is not true, then you have slandered him."

3. Tale-bearing and spreading corruption If his intention was to damage the relationship between them, then this is a form of tale-bearing and spreading corruption among people.

From the Sunnah:

It is narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim,from Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman رضي الله عنه, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"A tale-bearer will not enter Paradise." (Agreed upon)

From the Qur'an:

[Surah Al-Qalam: 10-11]
"And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer, a slanderer, going about with malicious gossip."

Third: Does removing temptation justify this action? The answer is: No. The Sharia has only permitted lying in specific situations, one of which is reconciliation between people, not causing division between them.

From the Sunnah:

It is narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim,from Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah رضي الله عنها that she heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
"He is not a liar who brings about reconciliation between people by conveying good or speaking good."
However, lying, giving false impressions, or conveying statements with the intention of creating enmity is prohibited.

Fourth: How should he repent? Sincere repentance consists of four matters: Abandoning the sin. Regretting what has passed. Resolving never to return to it. Restoring people's rights if the sin resulted in wrongdoing against them. Therefore, if his words caused her harm, he must strive to remove that harm according to his ability. Fifth: Must he inform the manager? If his words resulted in injustice toward her, deprived her of a right, or damaged her reputation in the eyes of her manager, then it is obligatory to remove that injustice. For example, he may say to the manager: "Previously, I spoke in a way that was not fair, and I have no evidence that she did not deserve the award. It should not be concluded that she was undeserving based on what I said." He is not required to disclose every detail of his intention. Rather, what is required is to remove the effects of the injustice as much as possible. However, if informing the manager would result in a greater harm, then he should strive to remove the effects in another way, while making abundant supplication and seeking forgiveness for her.

From the Scholars:

1. Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz رحمه الله
Warning against backbiting and tale-bearing: He رحمه الله said: "Backbiting and tale-bearing are two of the major sins, so it is obligatory to beware of them."
2. Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله
The conditions of repentance from backbiting He رحمه الله said: "If it is not possible to seek his pardon because of fear of causing fitnah, then he should supplicate for him, seek forgiveness for him, and mention him with good in the gatherings where he backbit him."
3. Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله
The ruling on swearing falsely for the purpose of reconciling between people He رحمه الله explained the difference between reconciliation and corruption, and that the concession regarding lying applies only to reconciling people, not to harming anyone.

Conclusion: What the questioner did is not permissible, and it is not justified by fear of temptation. If he deliberately intended to damage the relationship between the female employee and her manager, then he has committed sin according to what occurred from him of backbiting, tale-bearing, slander, or injustice. He must sincerely repent and strive to remove the injustice that resulted from his words. If the manager was influenced by his statements or an unjust judgment was made because of them, then he must correct the matter to the best of his ability, while ensuring that the means of rectification do not lead to a greater harm.

And Allah knows best.

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Can Fear of Fitnah Justify Trying to Get a Female Coworker Fired?

Summary:

From the Qur'an:

From the Qur'an:

From the Sunnah:

From the Sunnah:

From the Sunnah:

From the Qur'an:

From the Sunnah:

From the Scholars:

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