«سِكِّينِةِ الْأَهْلِ مْتَلِّمَهْ»

Quarrels between relatives rarely go as far as they appear to. Even when family members fight, they tend to hold back from inflicting real injury on one another, as if the weapon they use has no edge. Their anger is usually restrained by the bond they share.

The image is of a knife too notched and dull to cut: it can be brandished, but it does little harm. The proverb voices a traditional expectation about kinship, not a guarantee, and should not be read as dismissing serious harm within families.

Say it when relatives are openly quarrelling and someone fears lasting damage, to reassure them that kin tend to hold back. It offers hope, not a promise, and should not be used to downplay genuine abuse or danger.