«مِنْ حَالَكْ اُعْذُرَ اخُوكْ»

The saying asks you to measure a fellow's behavior against your own circumstances; "brother" here can mean a friend, neighbor, or community member, not only a sibling. If you know scarcity yourself, you should understand why someone equally hard-pressed cannot give or lend what you hope for, and not blame them.

In practice it works as a gentle self-defense from a speaker refusing a request. Rather than apologizing at length, the speaker points to a hardship both parties share, turning the listener's own experience into the reason for forgiveness and preserving goodwill despite the refusal.

Said by someone who cannot give, lend, or help because they are struggling just as much as the person asking. It invites the asker to recall their own lack and stop blaming the speaker. A colloquial saying suited to informal exchanges between people of similar, modest circumstances.