How can I deal with a colleague at work who is five years my junior, is very attached to me, and wishes to marry, given the categorical family rejection due to differences in social status, and the desire to end this attachment without hurting him, while feeling an inclination towards him and fearing God's wrath?

This young man has fallen in love, and the reason may be the sister's failure to adhere to the regulations for a Muslim woman working outside her home, such as the complete legal hijab, and the regulations for dealing with foreign men, such as not speaking in a soft tone and only speaking when necessary.

If she was adhering to these, then there is no sin upon her. She must adhere to her commitment, distance herself from the young man, and inform him that her family rejects him. If she was not adhering or was somewhere in between, then she bears a share of what the young man is suffering from this affliction, and she must: 1. Repent to Allah for what originated from her and led to the young man being afflicted. 2. Adhere to the regulations for women working and leaving the home. 3. Be frank with the young man that her family will not accept him as a husband, and that he should despair of this matter.

As for the young man, the best cure for him is marriage. If that is not possible, then he must cut off his yearning for her by despairing, or by looking into the treatments mentioned in Fatwa no. 34504, which include leaving this job to help him forget.