مَفْعُوْلٌ

We have learned that مَفْعُوْلٌ is a part of جُمْلَةِ فِعْلِيَّةِ.

مَفْعُوْلٌ (details) provide additional information about the action by answering the questions such as who/what was the action done to, where, why, how, and when.

The مَفْعُوْلٌ (مَفْعُوْلٌ, plural مَفَاعِيْلٌ) are in the نَصْبٌ status.

In Arabic grammar, there are five main types of مَفْعُوْلٌ:

Explanation	مَفْعُوْلٌ Type
who/what was the action done to?	مَفْعُوْلٌ بِهَ
when and where did the action take place?	مَفْعُوْلٌ فِيْهِ
why was the action carried out?	مَفْعُوْلٌ لَهُ
how did the action take place?	مَفْعُوْلٌ حَال
how badly (uses a مَصْدَرٌ to emphais/describe the action)	مَفْعُوْلٌ مُطْلَق

1. جَامِدٌ : It is that إِسْمٌ which is neither derived from another word nor is any word derived from it. For Example: فَرَسٌ horse; بِنْتٌ girl

2. مَصْدَرٌ : It is that إِسْمٌ from which many words are derived. For Example: ضَرْبٌ to hit; نَصْرٌ to help

3. مُشْتَقٌ : It is that إِسْمٌ which is derived from a مَصْدَرٌ. For Example: ضَارِبٌ hitter; مَنْصُوْرٌ the helped

Let us do some examples:

Example 1:

فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا

And both of them found a servant [18:65]

Grammatical Analysis	Meaning
حَرْفٌ	And	فَ
فِعْلٌ ماضٍ	both of them found	وَجَدَا
”a servant’ is a detail of who they found, so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ بِهَ.	a servant	عَبْدًا

Example 2:

خَرَقَهَا

He tore it [18:71]

Grammatical Analysis	Meaning
فِعْلٌ ماضٍ	He tore	خَرَقَ
The attached pronoun هَا is a detail of what he tore, so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ بِهَ.	it	هَا

Example 3:

بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ

He reached the setting of the sun [18:86]

Grammatical Analysis	Meaning
فِعْلٌ ماضٍ	He reached	بَلَغَ
The phrase ‘setting of the sun’, which is an إِضَافَةٌ is a detail of where he reached, so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ فِيْهِ. Notice that the word مَغْرِبَ is in نَصْبٌ status to indicate it is a detail.	the setting of the sun	مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ

Example 4:

وَعُرِضُوا عَلَىٰ رَبَّكَ صَفًّا

And they will be presented before your Lord in rows [18:48]

Grammatical Analysis	Meaning
حَرْفٌ	And	وَ
فِعْلٌ ماضٍ	they will be presented	عُرِضُوا
عَلَىٰ رَبَّ is a جارٌّ وَمَجْرُورٌ phrase رَبَّكَ forms an الإِضَافَة Therefore مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِالفِعْلِ.	before your Lord	عَلَىٰ رَبَّكَ
Here ‘in rows’ answers the question, ‘how will they be presented?’ so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ حَال.	in rows	صَفًّا

Example 5:

وَكَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا

And Allah spoke to Musa directly [4:164]

Grammatical Analysis	Meaning
حَرْفٌ	And	وَ
فِعْلٌ ماضٍ with outside doer فَاعِلٌ ‘Allah’	Allah spoke	كَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ
مَفْعُوْلٌ بِهَ	Musa	مُوسَىٰ
Here تَكْلِيمًا is used to show that Allah spoke to Musa directly and literally. It comes from the family كَلَّمَ and so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ مُطْلَق.	directly	تَكْلِيمًا