- English translation
Nobody has it easy, not even Ibn al-Jarih.
- Literal wording
No one is at rest, not even Ibn al-Jarih.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying insists that complete ease belongs to no one in this life. Ibn al-Jarih serves as the extreme case, the figure one would least expect to have troubles, and the point is that even he is not spared.
A second lesson follows: envy usually feeds on what can be seen from outside. Riches, comfort and an attractive outward life reveal little about private hardship, so happiness should not be judged by them.
- When it is used
Fits moments when someone envies another person's seemingly carefree, prosperous life, or complains that they alone are struggling. It offers a mild corrective: every life carries some burden, including the ones that look effortless from a distance.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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