Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-26
Meaning: Verified- English translation
If it does not concern you, stay out of it.
- Literal wording
What is not yours to deal with—what business do you have with it?
- Meaning and lesson
The saying counsels a person to leave alone a matter that does not concern them. It directs attention away from affairs outside one's own proper involvement.
The saying is built as a rhetorical question rather than a bare command. By asking what stake the listener holds, it leads them to answer 'none' for themselves, so the advice works as an appeal to reason.
- When it is used
Use it to tell someone not to become involved in an issue that is not their concern. It conveys a direct instruction to keep out of that matter.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: If it does not concern you, stay out of it.