«اِلْغَايِبْ شَاطِرْ»

Someone who is not present is easily credited with skill or competence, because people know them only through reports and stories. Without direct contact, the reputation goes untested, and the absent person keeps a favorable image that may not match reality.

The saying warns against judging anyone too quickly on secondhand accounts. It is not an insult to the absent person: the reputation may prove deserved or not once they appear. Until then, praise built on hearsay should be held loosely and checked against what actually happens.

Say it when a group is praising someone they know only through stories, or when a newcomer arrives with a glowing reputation. It gently suggests waiting to see the person in action before settling on an opinion.