«زَي فُقَرَا الْيَهُودْ لَا دُنْيَا وَلَا أُخْرَى»

The saying describes someone who ends up with nothing on either side: no wealth, ease, or success in present life, and no spiritual reward to look forward to after death. It marks a condition of complete and twofold loss.

The closing phrase carries the point. 'Neither this world' covers material life, while 'nor the next' covers religious standing. The opening comparison uses Jews as a stock figure of double misfortune; this reflects a historical stereotype about a religious group, not a fact about them, and should not be repeated as one.

Applied to a person whose everyday circumstances and religious condition both seem to be going badly, so that neither side offers consolation. Because it uses a named religious group as its figure of misery, it can cause offence; cite it with care as a historical saying, not for casual use.