«إِذَا اشْتَدَّ الْكَرْبْ هَانْ»

The saying holds that distress, once it reaches its most severe point, begins to ease. It offers hope at the moment it seems least justified: the very intensity of a hardship is taken as a sign that relief may be close. Its lesson is to hold on through the worst of a difficulty rather than give up when it is at its heaviest.

It is a word of hope, not a promise. It does not say when relief will come or that it is certain, and it cannot tell whether a given moment really is the worst. It is misapplied as a reason to do nothing about a problem that can be addressed. It also differs from sayings that only say hard times pass: its point is about timing, that the peak of distress may be near its end.

A friend, relative or colleague might say it to someone under intense strain, such as a crisis at work, a family difficulty or a hard stretch of study, to encourage them to hold on. It can comfort when it comes with real support. Offered too lightly, or by someone who is not sharing the burden, it may sound dismissive, and it is out of place when the person needs practical help more than reassurance.