I'rab of Surah Al-Mutaffifin Ayah 33: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Mutaffifin (المطففين) · Meccan · Ayah 33
وَمَآ أُرْسِلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ حَٰفِظِينَ TransliterationWa mā ursilū 'alayhim ḥāfiẓīn
MeaningYet they had not been sent as keepers over them.
A circumstantial clause noting that the sinners were never sent as guardians over the believers. It opens with a haal waaw, the negative particle 'maa', the passive verb 'ursiloo', a prepositional phrase 'alayhim, and the accusative haal 'haafiziina' describing the subject of the passive verb.
Word by word i'rab
circumstantial particle plus negation
The waaw introduces a circumstantial clause and 'maa' is a particle negating the passive verb that follows.
indeclinablepassive verb with deputy-subject
A passive past-tense verb whose attached waaw is the deputy-subject (na'ib faa'il), referring to the sinners.
indeclinableprepositional phrase linked to the haal
The preposition 'alaa with the genitive pronoun 'him' attaches to 'haafiziina' and means 'over them'.
genitivecircumstantial accusative (haal)
An accusative state-word qualifying the deputy-subject of 'ursiloo', meaning they were not sent as guardians.
accusativeDetailed i'rab
The opening waaw is the waaw of the haal (circumstance), introducing a clause that comments on the sinners' attitude in the previous verses. The particle maa is a negator working on the verb ursiloo, a past-tense passive verb; because it is passive, its attached waaw functions as the na'ib al-faa'il (deputy subject standing in for the unnamed agent). The prepositional phrase 'alayhim:'alaa governing the genitive pronoun him:relates to the following word and means 'over them', i.e., over the believers. The final word haafiziina is an accusative haal describing the deputy-subject of ursiloo: they were not dispatched in the capacity of keepers or overseers of the believers. The clause refutes any claim that the mockers had authority to judge or supervise the faithful.
Frequently asked
Why is 'ursilū' called a passive verb?
Its form indicates that the agent is unstated; the action 'were sent' is attributed to the doers without naming who sent them, and the waaw becomes the deputy subject.
What does the waaw at the start signal here?
It is the waaw of haal, opening a circumstantial clause that adds the comment that the sinners had no commission to act as guardians over the believers.