- English translation
He has one eye on Heaven and the other on Hell.
- Literal wording
His eye is in Paradise and his eye is in the Fire.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying pictures a person whose two eyes look in opposite directions, one toward Paradise and the other toward the Fire, the usual Arabic name for Hell. It describes someone pulled two ways at once, unable to settle on either path because their attention stays divided.
In practice it targets indecision when a choice must be made, not a person's faith or moral standing. The speaker points out that the hesitant person keeps weighing both options and will not commit, which leaves them stuck between the alternatives instead of moving toward one.
- When it is used
Use this of someone who has been offered a choice between two things and keeps wavering instead of picking one. It suits lightly teasing or exasperated remarks about a person who stalls a decision; the religious imagery is figurative and judges no one's faith.
- Register
- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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