«اِللِّي رَبَّى أَخْيَرْ مِنِ اِللِّي اشْتَرَى»

In its traditional framing, the proverb favors raising or cultivating something oneself over buying it ready-made: firsthand care brings knowledge of its history and fewer unknowns, so the slower path is presented as more dependable.

Traditional commentary contrasts it with an opposing saying that favors buying rather than rearing, and says each suits its own occasion. Its purchase imagery can evoke the historical treatment of people as property; do not apply it to people or endorse that framing.

Use it when defending the slower course of cultivating something over obtaining it ready-made, especially when familiarity with its development is valued. It is not appropriate for describing or judging people.