«يِخْلَقْ مِنْ ضَهْرِ الْعَالِمْ جَاهِلْ»

The proverb observes that excellence does not reliably pass from parent to child. Its 'back' means paternal lineage, as in 'loins', not the body: a father celebrated for knowledge and merit may still produce a son who shares none of those qualities, so lineage alone guarantees nothing about a person's worth.

Beyond scholarship specifically, the image extends to anyone who falls short of a distinguished origin. Learning and ignorance stand in for any noble quality and its absence, marking the gap between a fine source and an unworthy descendant who has sunk below it.

Use it when someone from a respected, accomplished, or virtuous family turns out markedly lesser than their parent. It voices disappointment at how little merit passes down through blood; because it judges character, applying it to a real person can insult both the child and the family.