«مِنْ زَق بَابْنَا أَكَلْ لِبَابْنَا»

The saying links effort and reward in friendship. The verb زَقّ, to push, pictures a visitor who takes the trouble to come in, not forced entry. Whoever keeps visiting earns لبابنا, our choicest part or kernel, a word distinct from بابنا, 'our door.' Generosity is owed first to those who show up.

More broadly, it voices the view that kindness should go first to true friends rather than being spread at random. A host might use it to justify special treatment for a regular visitor, or to remind listeners that keeping close ties is what earns favor in return.

Fits moments of hospitality: welcoming a friend who made the effort to visit, or explaining why loyal visitors deserve generous treatment. It reads oddly if applied to strangers or to people whose visits are unwelcome.