Question 2057: If someone is wronged by their employer or boss, does speaking about it to colleagues constitute backbiting?
Answer
✅ Answer: Pay attention to the verse and narrations below:
قَالَ اللَّه تَعَالَی : لَّا یُحِبُّ اللَّهُ الْجَهْرَ بِالسُّوءِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ إِلَّا مَن ظُلِمَ ۚ وَ کَانَ اللَّهُ سَمِیعًا عَلِیمًا (۱۴۸)
Translation: Allah does not like anyone to openly speak of others' faults, except for those who have been wronged, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing!
📖 Surah An-Nisa, Verse 148
1 Abu al-Jarud, from him (peace be upon him), said: Publicly speaking ill means mentioning a person’s faults that are truly present in them.
📚 Tafsir Al-Ayyashi, Vol. 1, p. 454
Abu Jarud narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) who said: 'Publicly speaking ill' is when a person mentions something that is truly present in another!
✅ Based on the above noble verse, if someone has truly been wronged by another, they are permitted to openly speak about that wrong, and this is one of the exceptions to backbiting.
✅ However, it is advisable to consider the potential consequences to ensure that using this permission does not lead to additional problems for the individual.
✅ Therefore, someone who has been wronged by their employer or boss is permitted to openly speak about the wrongdoer’s actions, and it does not constitute backbiting.
✅ One of the examples mentioned in the narrations for the above verse is:
2 عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ أَبِی قُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِی قَوْلِ اللَّهِ لا یُحِبُّ اللَّهُ الْجَهْرَ بِالسُّوءِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ إِلَّا مَنْ ظُلِمَ قَالَ مَنْ أَضَافَ قَوْماً فَأَسَاءَ ضِیَافَتَهُمْ فَهُوَ مِمَّنْ ظَلَمَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیْهِمْ فِیمَا قَالُوا فِیهِ.
📚 Tafsir Al-Ayyashi, Vol. 1, p. 454
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding Allah’s saying (in Surah An-Nisa, Verse 148): 'Allah does not like anyone to openly speak of others' faults, except for those who have been wronged...' said: Someone who hosts people and treats them poorly is among those who have wronged others, and there is no sin on those who speak about what he did!
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر