La terham wala tekhalli rahmet rabbena tenzel

Translation: You have no mercy, and you prevent God’s mercy from descending upon us.

Meaning: It is one thing to not offer charity, but to prevent people from receiving it is the ultimate act of cruelty. So if you’re not going to offer someone a job, at least don’t prevent them from looking for a job elsewhere. This saying is still in use, often in reference to employers or members of the family who want to control the fate of an employee or relative. A brother who mistreats his sister while rejecting her suitors would fit the bill.

Source: Egyptian Proverbs, (Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing, 1986) by Ahmed Taymour Pasha,

Translated by: Nabil Shawkat