- English translation
Every master has his own way of doing things.
- Literal wording
Every sheikh, and he has a way (an order).
- Meaning and lesson
The image comes from Sufi life, where each sheikh, a master rather than simply an old man or chief, leads disciples along a distinctive path, or ṭarīqa. The word also means an ordinary way or method, so the proverb plays on both senses to say that variety in method is normal.
Applied to daily life, it says that every person has a particular way of working or handling matters. Speakers use it to explain why approaches differ, to accept another person's habits without argument, or to hint gently that someone's method is idiosyncratic.
- When it is used
Use it when people tackle the same task differently, to acknowledge or wryly accept that each follows a personal method. It fits informal talk about work habits, styles, or routines, sounding tolerant or faintly ironic. It comments on differing approaches, not on Sufism or religious practice.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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