«اِللِّي فِينَا فِينَا ولَوْ حَجِّينَا وْجِينَا»

Traditionally framed through a cat that returns from pilgrimage unchanged, the saying judges someone whose harmful habits are so ingrained that a visibly pious act does not reform their conduct. It contrasts outward devotion with behavior that remains cruel, selfish, or damaging.

It warns against treating religious observance as proof of good character: ethical change must appear in conduct, not ceremony alone. It does not criticize pilgrimage itself or deny its value, but skeptically challenges the assumption that a religious act necessarily transforms a persistently harmful person.

Use it to criticize someone who continues harmful behavior after an experience expected to improve their character. It is severe and condemnatory, and may sound especially sharp or disrespectful when directed at a devout person; it targets unchanged conduct, not pilgrimage itself.