Passive Participle in Arabic - اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ
Introduction
We’ve observed that الْمَفْعُلُ بِهِ, or the simple object, carries the action of the verb. However, the passive participle, اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ, conforms to the مَفْعُولٌ pattern.
Examples:
فَعَلَ – مَفْعُولٌ
Done
فَتَحَ – مَفْتُوْحٌ
Opened
خَلَقَ – مَخْلُوْقٌ
Created
جَمَعَ – مَجْمُوْعٌ
Gathered
عَلِمَ – مَعْلُوْمٌ
Known
1. مفعول Passive Participle
A. Masculine Gender Passive Participle Chart
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular
مَفْعُولٌ
Done
Dual
مَفْعُولَانِ
(two) done
Plural
مَفْعُولُوْنَ
(all) done
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular
مَفْعُولا
Done
Dual
مَفْعُولَيْنِ
(two) done
Plural
مَفْعُولِيْنَ
(all) done
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular
مَفْعُولٍ
Done
Dual
مَفْعُولَيْنِ
(two) done
Plural
مَفْعُولِيْنَ
(all) done
B. Feminine Gender Passive Participle Chart
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular
مَفْعُولَةٌ
Done
Dual
مَفْعُولَتَانِ
(two) done
Plural
مَفْعُولاتٌ
(all) done
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular
مَفْعُولَةً
Done
Dual
مَفْعُولَتَيْنِ
(two) done
Plural
مَفْعُولاتٍ
(all) done
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular
مَفْعُولَةٍ
Done
Dual
مَفْعُولَتَيْنِ
(two) done
Plural
مَفْعُولاتٍ
(all) done
C. Examples of the passive article used in the Holy Quran
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ يَدُ اللَّـهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ ۚ غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا بِمَا قَالُوا ۘ بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ
And the Jews say, “The hand of Allah is chained.” Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say. Rather, both His hands are extended; He spends however He wills. (5:64)
وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ
And [by] the promised Day (85:2)
وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ
And [by] the witness and what is witnessed, (85:3)
The passive participle for hamzated verbs, following patterns like أَكَلَ, سَأَلَ, and قَرَأَ, as well as assimilated verbs resembling وَعَدَ and يَسِرَ, aligns with the مَفْعُوْلٌ pattern.
Examples:
أَكَلَ – مَأْكُوْلٌ
Eaten
سَأَلَ – مَسْؤُوْلٌ
Asked
قَرَأَ – مَقْرُوءٌ
Read
وَعَدَ – مَوْعُوْدٌ
Promised
يَسِرَ – مَيْسُوْرٌ
Feasible
2. Hollow verbs - الأَجْوَفُ
When the verb’s second radical is the weak letter و, such as in قَالَ, its passive participle takes the form مَقُوْلٌ.
A. Masculine Passive Participle Reference Chart
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular
مَقُوْلٌ
Said
Dual
مَقُوْلانِ
(two) said
Plural
مَقُوْلُوْنَ
(all) said
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular
مَقُوْلًا
Said
Dual
مَقُوْلَيْنِ
(two) said
Plural
مَقُوْلَيْنِ
(all) said
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular
مَقُوْلٍ
Said
Dual
مَقُوْلَيْنِ
(two) said
Plural
مَقُوْلَيْنِ
(all) said
B. Feminine Passive Participle Reference Chart
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular
مَقُوْلَةٌ
Said
Dual
مَقُوْلَتَانِ
(two) said
Plural
مَقُوْلَاتٌ
(all) said
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular
مَقُوْلَةً
Said
Dual
مَقُوْلَتَيْنِ
(two) said
Plural
مَقُوْلَاتٍ
(all) said
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular
مَقُوْلَةٍ
Said
Dual
مَقُوْلَتَيْنِ
(two) said
Plural
مَقُوْلَاتٍ
(all) said
When the verb’s second radical is the weak letter ى, as seen in بَاعَ, the passive participle adopts the مَبِيْعٌ form.
C. Masculine Passive Participle Reference Chart
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular
مَبِيْعٌ
Sold
Dual
مَبِيْعَانِ
(two) sold
Plural
مَبِيْعُوْنَ
(all) sold
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular
مَبِيْعًا
Sold
Dual
مَبِيْعَيْنِ
(two) sold
Plural
مَبِيْعِيْنَ
(all) sold
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular
مَبِيْعٍ
Sold
Dual
مَبِيْعَيْنِ
(two) sold
Plural
مَبِيْعِيْنَ
(all) sold
D . Feminine Passive Participle Reference Chart
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular
مَبِيْعَةٌ
Sold
Dual
مَبِيْعَتَانِ
(two) sold
Plural
مَبِيْعَاتٌ
(all) sold
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular
مَبِيْعَةً
Sold
Dual
مَبِيْعَتَيْنِ
(two) sold
Plural
مَبِيْعَاتٍ
(all) sold
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular
مَبِيْعَةٍ
Sold
Dual
مَبِيْعَتَيْنِ
(two) sold
Plural
مَبِيْعَاتٍ
(all) sold
3. Defective verbs - الناقِصُ
When the verb’s third radical is the weak letter و or ى, the passive participle (اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ) adopts this form:
Examples:
دَعَا – مَدْعُوْوٌّ
Called
رَمَى – مَرْمِيٌّ
Thrown
لَقِيَ – مَلْقِيٌّ
Met
4. Double lettered verbs - المُضاعَفُ
Verbs with doubled letters also adopt the passive participle form of مَفْعُوْلٌ.
Example:
ظَنَّ – مَظْنُونٌ
Suspected
5. Passive Participle Instances in the Holy Quran: An Exploration
يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ
It is the Day when people will be like moths, dispersed, (101:4)
وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا
And from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station. (17:79)
فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ
And He made them like eaten straw.(105:5)
ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّجْمُوعٌ لَّهُ النَّاسُ وَذَٰلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّشْهُودٌ
That is a Day for which the people will be collected, and that is a Day [which will be] witnessed (11:103)
Conclusion
This lesson on Arabic nuances concludes here. Insha’Allah, our subsequent session will delve into the verbal noun in Arabic.
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