Lesson 67
Absolute Object Mafʿūl Muṭlaq
المفعول المطلق
The mafʿūl muṭlaq is a verbal noun (masdar) in the accusative that either emphasises the verb, confirms it, or specifies its type. It is common in Quranic style and classical Arabic literature.
Mafʿūl Muṭlaq Functions
FunctionMasdarQualifierExample
Emphasis (تَوْكِيد)ضَرْباًNone neededضَرَبْتُهُ ضَرْباً
Specify type (نَوْع)سَيْراًAdjective (سَرِيعاً)سَارَ سَيْراً سَرِيعاً
Specify numberضَرْبَتَيْنDual or number wordضَرَبْتُهُ ضَرْبَتَيْن
Qualified by iḍāfaأَخْذَ عَزِيزٍGenitive noun followingأَخَذْنَاهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُقْتَدِر
Substitutes for the Mafʿūl Muṭlaq
SubstituteTypeExample
مَرَّةً / مَرَّتَيْنNumber once/twiceجَلَسَ مَرَّتَيْن
كُلَّ / بَعْضَTotality / portionيُحِبُّهُ كُلَّ الْحُبِّ
ذَلِكَ الضَّرْبَDemonstrative referenceضَرَبَهُ ذَلِكَ الضَّرْبَ
وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيماً
Wa-kallama llāhu Mūsā taklīman
"And Allah spoke to Moses directly." (4:164) تَكْلِيماً is the mafʿūl muṭlaq for absolute emphasis: the speech was real and direct.
فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُقْتَدِرٍ
Fa-akhadhnāhum akhdha ʿazīzin muqtadir
"And We seized them with the seizing of One Almighty, Most Powerful." (54:42) أَخْذَ is mafʿūl muṭlaq qualified by iḍāfa, giving vivid descriptive force.
- The mafʿūl muṭlaq is always the masdar from the same root as the verb: كَلَّمَ → تَكْلِيم; أَخَذَ → أَخْذ.
- In 4:164, تَكْلِيماً (emphasis type) confirms that Allah's speech to Mūsā ﷺ was direct a theological point affirmed by this grammatical choice.
- The mafʿūl muṭlaq always takes the accusative fatḥa or tanwīn fatḥ.
- 54:42: أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُقْتَدِر the masdar in iḍāfa creates a type-specifying mafʿūl muṭlaq with vivid imagery.
- Substitutes (مَرَّتَيْن, كُلَّ الْحُبِّ) can replace the masdar itself and still serve as the mafʿūl muṭlaq they are accusative for the same reason.