ProverbHub
Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«رَبِّنَا مَا سَاوَانَا إِلَّا بِالْمُوتْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

God has made us equal in one thing only: death.

Literal wording

Our Lord did not make us equal except by death.

Meaning and lesson

While alive, people differ widely in fortune, ability, standing, and power, and those gaps can seem permanent and deeply unfair. The saying attributes the leveling to God, observing that nothing in ordinary life erases these distinctions; only death finally places everyone on the same footing.

The proverb carries a tone of resignation mixed with consolation, a sober reflection on mortality rather than resentment toward God. It reminds the proud that their advantages are temporary and offers the disadvantaged the cold comfort that every hierarchy ends at the grave, where no one keeps any privilege.

When it is used

Use it when wealth, knowledge, or rank seems to divide people, or when a death makes those distinctions look temporary. It suits sober reflection on inequality and mortality and may temper someone's pride in their worldly position.

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