Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-28
Meaning: Verified- English translation
Trouble comes, more than from anywhere else, from the people we love.
- Literal wording
Calamities do not come except from the beloved ones.
- Meaning and lesson
Though phrased in absolute terms, the saying means that misfortune most often arrives from those closest to us. Its point is where harm usually originates, not a claim that strangers never cause any.
It is brought out at the moment a cherished person has done someone harm, naming the source of the injury as someone dear rather than an outsider. The rhyme of masāyib and ḥabāyib is lost in English.
- When it is used
Use it in response to harm or trouble caused by someone you love or hold dear, to remark that the injury came from a close quarter rather than from an outsider.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Trouble comes, more than from anywhere else, from the people we love.