Introduction to the active participle – اِسْمُ الفاعِلِ
In Arabic, the noun used for the doer of an action (subject), is called اِسْمُ الفاعِلِ. It is formed by adding an alif – ا to the first radical of the verb فَعَلَ. The middle letter is given a kasrah -ِ and the last radical is given a tanween. The active participle pattern will be فَاعِلٌ.
Example:
سَجَدَ / سَاجِدٌ
one who prostrates / to prostrate
حَمِدَ / حَامِدٌ
one who praises / to praise
كَفَرَ / كَافِرٌ
A disbeliever / to disbelieve
Active participle table for masculine gender:
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
فَاعِلٌ | فَاعِلانِ | فَاعِلُوْنَ |
A doer | Two doers | Doers |
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
فَاعِلًا | فَاعِلَيْنِ | فَاعِلِيْنَ |
A doer | Two doers | Doers |
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
فَاعِلٍ | فَاعِلَيْنِ | فَاعِلِيْنَ |
A doer | Two doers | Doers |
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Active participle table for feminine gender:
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
فَاعِلَةٌ | فَاعِلَتَانِ | فَاعِلاتٌ |
A doer | Two doers | Doers |
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
فَاعِلَةٌ | فَاعِلَتَيْنِ | فَاعِلاتٍ |
A doer | Two doers | Doers |
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
فَاعِلَةٍ | فَاعِلَتَيْنِ | فَاعِلاتٍ |
A doer | Two doers | Doers |
Examples of active participles used in the Holy Quran
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
Say, “O disbelievers, (109:1)
وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ
Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. (109:4)
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. (109:5)
فَيُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا أَسَرُّوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ نَادِمِينَ
and they will become, over what they have been concealing within themselves, regretful. (5:52)
وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۖ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. (2:25)
Hamzated and assimilated verb
Hamzated verbs on the pattern of أَكَلَ – سَأَلَ and قَرَأَ or assimilated verbs on the pattern of وَعَدَ and يَسِرَ take their active participle on the pattern of فَاعِلٌ. Examples:
أَكَلَ / آكِلٌ
One who eats
سَأَلَ / سَائِلٌ
Questioner
قَرَأَ / قَارِئٌ
One who reads
وَعَدَ / وَاعِدٌ
One who promises
يَسِرَ / يَاسِرٌ
One who becomes easy
Examples:
سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen (70:1)
Note: Some active participles are on the pattern of فَعِيْلٌ. These come as adjectives and describe eternal, everlasting qualities. Example:
عَظِيْكٌ – Great one
حَسِيْنٌ – Good one
كَبِيْرٌ – Big one
قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ
[Allah] said, “Then get out of it, for indeed, you are expelled. (15:34)
إِنْ هَـٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ
this is none but a noble angel.” (12:31)
الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, (1:3)
Hollow verbs
When the second radical is the weak letter و or ى, then their active participle will be on the pattern of فَاعِلٌ.
Examples:
قَالَ / قَائِلٌ
one who speaks
بَاغَ / بائِغٌ
One who sells
Defective verbs
When the third radical is the weak letter و or ى, e.g., دَعَا and رَمَى, the active participle will be on the pattern of دَاعِوٌ and دَامِوٌ as per the pattern فَاعِلٌ. However, we observe a change in its formation.
دَعَا = دَاعِوٌ – دَاعٍ
One who calls
رَمَى = رامِوُ – رامٍ
One who throws
لَقِيَ = لاقِوٌ – لاقٍ
One who meets
This is because when و or ى bear dammah tanween and is preceded by kasrah, then the و and ى are dropped, and the harakah of the previous letter is changed to tanween kasrah -ِ.
Active participle table for masculine gender – دَاعٍ:
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دَاعٍ | دَاعِيَانِ | دَاعُوْنَ |
A caller | Two callers | Callers |
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دَاعِيًا | دَاعِيَيْنِ | دَاعِيْنَ |
A caller | Two callers | Callers |
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دَاعٍ | دَاعِيَيْنِ | دَاعِيْنَ |
A caller | Two callers | Callers |
Active participle table for feminine gender:
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دَاعِيَةٌ | دَاعِيَتَانِ | دَاعِيَاتٌ |
A caller | Two callers | Callers |
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دَاعِيَةً | دَاعِيَتَيْنِ | دَاعِيَاتٍ |
A caller | Two callers | Callers |
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
دَاعِيَةٍ | دَاعِيَتَيْنِ | دَاعِيَاتٍ |
A caller | Two callers | Callers |
Note: When اَلْ is added to the singular of active participles like دَاعٍ, the ى will be written as الدَّاعِي.
Double lettered verbs – الْمُضاعَفُ
According to the pattern فَاعِلٌ, the active participle of verbs on the pattern of ظَنَّ should be ظَانِنٌ. But they will be written with a shaddah -ّ as ظَآنٌّ. Examples:
ظَنَّ =ظَانِنٌ – ظَآنٌّ
One who suspects.
ضَلَّ = ضّالِلٌ – ضَالٌّ
One who goes astray
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray. (1:7)
Active participle table for masculine gender – ظَنَّ:
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
ظَآنٌّ | ظَآنَّانِ | ظَآنُّوْنَ |
One who suspects | Those two who suspects | Those who suspect |
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
ظَآنَّا | ظَآنَّيْنِ | ظَآنَّيْنَ |
One who suspects | Those two who suspects | Those who suspect |
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
ظَآنٍّ | ظَآنَّيْنِ | ظَآنَّيْنِ |
One who suspects | Those two who suspects | Those who suspect |
Active participle table for feminine gender:
Nominative case – حَالَةُ الرَّفَعِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
ظَآنَّةٌ | ظَآنَّتَانِ | ظَآنَّاتٌ |
One who suspects | Those two who suspects | Those who suspect |
Accusative – حَالَةُ النَصَبِ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
ظَآنَّةً | ظَآنَّتَيْنِ | ظَآنَّاتٍ |
One who suspects | Those two who suspects | Those who suspect |
Genitive – حَالَةُ الجَرِّ
Singular | Dual | Plural |
ظَآنَّةٍ | ظَآنَّتَيْنِ | ظَآنَّاتٍ |
One who suspects | Those two who suspects | Those who suspect |
Examples of Active participle used in the Holy Quran
تَنزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّـهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ
The revelation of the Qur’an is from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (39:1)
أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ
Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? (39:9)
وَأَرْضُ اللَّـهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” (39:10)
التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ الْحَامِدُونَ السَّائِحُونَ الرَّاكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ الْآمِرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[Such believers are] the repentant, the worshippers, the praisers [of Allah], the travelers [for His cause], those who bow and prostrate [in prayer], those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits [set by] Allah. And give good tidings to the believers. (9:112)
You have now completed this Arabic free lesson. The next one will be insha’Allah about the passive particle in Arabic.
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