Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-23
Meaning: Verified- English translation
The oppressor's house is in ruins.
- Literal wording
The oppressor's house is ruin.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying presents injustice as self-defeating: whoever wrongs others brings desolation upon his own house, so that what he builds or holds through oppression is pictured as unable to last.
Its force comes from an implied moral contrast in which doing good keeps a house standing and thriving. Here the word house may stand for a dwelling, a household, and its fortunes all at once.
- When it is used
Fitting when reflecting on the decline of someone who has acted unjustly, or when cautioning against wronging others by pointing to the ruin that such conduct is expected to bring upon one's own home and household.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: The oppressor's house is in ruins.