مَفْعُوْلٌ

We have learned that in a جُمْلَةِ فِعْلِيَّةِ the details (مَفْعُوْلٌ, plural مَفَاعِيْلٌ) are in نَصْبٌ status. 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.

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

Explanation	مَفْعُوْلٌ Type
who/what was the action done to?	مَفْعُوْلٌ بِهَ
when/what 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]

”a servant’ is a detail of who they found, so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ بِهَ.

Example 2:

خَرَقَهَا

He tore it [18:71]

The attached pronoun هَا is a detail of what he tore, so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ بِهَ.

Example 3:

بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ

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

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.

Example 4:

وَعُرِضُوا عَلَىٰ رَبَّكَ صَفًّا

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

Here ‘in rows’ answers the question, ‘how will they be presented?’ so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ حَال.

Example 5:

وَكَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا

And Allah spoke to Musa directly [4:164]

Here تَكْلِيمًا is used to show that Alla spoke to Musa directly and literally. It comes from the family كَلَّمَ and so it is a مَفْعُوْلٌ مُطْلَق.