I'rab of Surah Al-Mutaffifin Ayah 36: word by word Arabic grammar
Surah Al-Mutaffifin (المطففين) · Meccan · Ayah 36
هَلْ ثُوِّبَ ٱلْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ TransliterationHal thuwwiba al-kuffāru mā kānū yaf'alūn
MeaningHave the disbelievers been repaid for what they used to do?
A rhetorical closing question: have the disbelievers been repaid for what they used to do? It uses the interrogative 'hal', the passive verb 'thuwwiba', the deputy-subject 'al-kuffaar', and a maa-clause in the accusative slot meaning 'for what they used to do', understood after a dropped preposition.
Word by word i'rab
interrogative particle
A particle that turns the sentence into a question, here carrying a tone of confirmation or rhetorical triumph.
indeclinablepassive verb
A past-tense passive verb meaning 'has been rewarded/repaid', whose agent is unnamed and whose deputy-subject follows.
indeclinabledeputy-subject (na'ib al-fa'il)
In the nominative as the deputy-subject of the passive verb 'thuwwiba', meaning 'the disbelievers' who are repaid.
nominativenoun clause in the accusative slot
Here 'maa' (with its clause) stands in the accusative after a dropped preposition, meaning 'for what (they did)'.
accusativeincomplete verb (kaana) with its noun
A past-tense 'kaana' whose attached waaw is its noun, setting up a continuous past action with the following verb.
indeclinablepresent-tense verb forming the predicate of kaana
A present-tense verb with the waaw as subject; as the predicate of 'kaanoo' it conveys 'they used to do'.
indeclinableDetailed i'rab
The verse opens with the interrogative particle hal, posing a rhetorical question of confirmation. Thuwwiba is a past-tense passive verb ('has been repaid/rewarded'), so its agent is omitted and al-kuffaar takes the nominative as the na'ib al-faa'il (deputy subject), the ones who are recompensed. The word maa, together with the verbal clause attached to it, stands in the accusative position because of a dropped preposition (originally 'for what'), giving the meaning 'repaid for what they used to do'. Within that clause, kaanoo is the deficient verb kaana with the waaw as its noun (ism kaana), and yaf'aloon is a present-tense verb with the waaw as its subject, serving as the predicate (khabar) of kaana and expressing habitual past action 'they used to do'. The verse closes the surah by affirming that the disbelievers receive the fitting consequence of their deeds.
Frequently asked
Why is 'al-kuffār' in the nominative if it is the one being acted upon?
Because 'thuwwiba' is passive, the affected party becomes the na'ib al-faa'il (deputy subject), which takes the nominative case in place of the omitted agent.
How is the 'mā' clause analyzed grammatically?
The 'maa' clause sits in the accusative position after a dropped preposition (originally 'for'), meaning 'for what they used to do', and within it 'kaanoo... yaf'aloon' expresses habitual past action.