«اِلْمَالِ اللِّي مَا هُو لَكْ عَضْمُهْ مِنْ حَدِيدْ»

The saying exposes a double standard: people protect what they own but feel little restraint with what belongs to someone else. Here “property” means livestock, not money. A borrowed beast is driven hard because the borrower bears no loss, so they treat it as if its bones were iron: an ironic picture of their carelessness, not real toughness.

More broadly, it serves as a rebuke or warning about careless use of borrowed or shared goods. It reminds listeners that the owner's concern does not automatically pass to the person holding the item, and it can caution lenders to expect rough treatment of what they hand over.

Use it to criticize someone who overworks, mistreats, or carelessly wears out a borrowed animal, tool, or other belonging, or as a warning before lending something to a person unlikely to spare it the way its owner would.