«اِلشِّرِيكْ فِي الْمَدْودْ»

Someone who co-owns a beast with you is, in effect, always standing beside its feed trough, the manger of the saying. However far away he seems, he can turn up without warning to demand that the animal be sold or that you account for how it has been kept.

More broadly, the saying cautions against treating something as remote or improbable. A matter that looks far off may arrive suddenly, so it is wiser to stay prepared than to assume distance means safety. It does not accuse partners of dishonesty; the co-owner simply has a real stake.

Use it as a gentle warning to someone who acts as if an absent stakeholder, claim, or consequence can be safely ignored. It suits moments when a person assumes an outcome is too distant or unlikely to matter.