- English translation
Money stolen from an endowment will bring the roof down on the thief.
- Literal wording
Endowment money brings down the roof.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that wealth permanently dedicated as a religious or charitable endowment (waqf) carries a kind of danger. Anyone who seizes it for private use, instead of spending it on the purpose it was bound to, invites disaster upon himself and his household.
The falling roof is a figurative image of total ruin, not a literal building accident. Ill-gotten endowment money does not enrich the taker in the end; it brings his house and fortunes down. The saying warns of moral consequences rather than describing any legal penalty for misusing endowments.
- When it is used
Use it to warn someone tempted to divert dedicated or trust funds to themselves, or to explain someone's downfall after such abuse. It suits moral admonition about embezzling what belongs to a charitable purpose rather than casual remarks about everyday spending.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Money stolen from an endowment will bring the roof down on the thief.