Fatwa ID: 08962
Answered by Maulana Abdurrahman Persaud
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
I work in a company that distributes windscreens and body glass to vehicle fitters.
I recently came to know that one of the company’s salesmen seems to be running, or helping run, a separate business in the same field — possibly passing orders or customers to other fitters for personal gain. This could be a conflict of interest and harm the company.
I only found out by coincidence (through his phone caller ID), and he asked me not to tell anyone about it.
My question is: In this situation, what is the correct Islamic approach?
- Am I Islamically required to inform the management (since it may be harming the company’s trust), or
- Should I remain silent to avoid backbiting, suspicion, or causing harm to another Muslim?
Please guide me according to Hanafi fiqh about whether reporting such matters counts as ghibah (backbiting) or naseehah (advice and preventing harm).
JazakAllahu khayran.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
May Allah ﷻ lead you to that which pleases him and reward you tremendously for your efforts in making a decision that pleases him.
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do so, then with his tongue. If he cannot do so, then with his heart, which is the weakest level of faith.”[1]
Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is an obligation on every muslim as instructed in the hadith.
Allah ﷻ says in the glorious Quran, “Those of the Children of Israel who took to unbelief have been cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary, for they rebelled and exceeded the bounds of right. (5:79) They did not forbid each other from committing the abominable deeds they committed. Indeed, what they did was evil.”[2]
The children of Israel would see evil but keep silent and not denounce it, and that silence caused them to be cursed.
Based on the above, it is not permissible for one who witnesses an evil action to remain silent about it when they are able to denounce and change it.
In response to your questions, the best approach would be to advise such a person thoroughly and urge him to seek sincere repentance while highlighting the conditions of repentance, regret, firm intention not to do it again, determination to leave such an action, and if he had taken the rights of someone, then he should return them.
If, however, he continues, then it should be made over to the relevant authorities to save oneself from falling into the sin of not prohibiting an evil action.
Reporting such a case in Sharee’a would be necessary since it includes the rights of someone else and would not constitute backbiting.[3]
We hope this answers the question.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdurrahman Persaud
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ
49 صحيح مسلم كتاب الإيمان باب بيان أن النهي عن المنكر من الإيمان والأن الإيمان يزيد وينقص
[2]
لُعِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا مِنۡۢ بَنِىۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ عَلٰى لِسَانِ دَاوٗدَ وَعِيۡسَى ابۡنِ مَرۡيَمَ ؕ ذٰ لِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَّكَانُوۡا يَعۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿5:78﴾ كَانُوۡا لَا يَتَـنَاهَوۡنَ عَنۡ مُّنۡكَرٍ فَعَلُوۡهُ ؕ لَبِئۡسَ مَا كَانُوۡا يَفۡعَلُوۡنَ﴿5:79
[3]
أَحَدُهَا التَّظَلُّمُ فَيَجُوزُ لِلْمَظْلُومِ أَنْ يَتَظَلَّمَ إِلَى السُّلْطَانِ وَالْقَاضِي وَغَيْرِهِمَا مِمَّنْ لَهُ وِلَايَةٌ أَوْ قُدْرَةٌ عَلَى إِنْصَافِهِ مِنْ ظَالِمِهِ
[4]
شرح النووي على مسلم (16/ 142)