«أَبْلِيسْ مَا يِخْرِبْشْ بِيتُهْ»

The image casts a habitual wrongdoer as difficult to bring low. Even a severe blow that appears to end their run of harmful conduct may leave them standing.

The proverb expresses a wary reaction to that outcome, not admiration for the person’s resilience. What looked decisive has failed to dispose of someone others had reason to fear or distrust.

If a schemer’s plans collapse and everyone assumes their influence is over, but they soon reappear unscathed, this proverb can express the onlookers’ frustrated surprise. It concerns the person’s survival of a setback, not the safety of a home.