الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة بِاسمِ الفاعِل — The Adjective Resembling the Active Participle
The ṣifat al-mushabbaha (الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة بِاسمِ الفاعِل) is an adjectival noun that resembles the active participle (اسم الفاعل) in form but differs from it fundamentally in meaning. It is classified as one of the four main derivable attributes of a verb, alongside اسم الفاعل, اسم المفعول, and صِيغَة المُبَالَغَة.
The Four Derivable Attributes of a Verb
| Attribute | Arabic Term | Example from كَتَبَ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active participle | اسم الفاعل | كَاتِب | one who is writing |
| Passive participle | اسم المفعول | مَكتُوب | something written |
| Intensive pattern | صِيغَة المُبَالَغَة | كَتَّاب | prolific writer |
| Resemblant adjective | الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة | (n/a for كَتَبَ — see note) | permanent quality |
Which Verbs Produce Ṣifat Mushabbaha?
Ṣifat mushabbaha is derived only from intransitive verbs of permanent state — specifically the فَعُلَ يَفعُلُ family. These verbs describe being something, not doing something. Examples: كَرُمَ (to be generous), شَرُفَ (to be noble), طَهُرَ (to be pure), حَسُنَ (to be beautiful). Transitive action verbs like كَتَبَ, جَلَسَ, and شَرِبَ do not produce ṣifat mushabbaha.
Difference 1: ثُبُوت (Permanence) vs. حُدُوث (Occurrence)
This is the fundamental, defining difference:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| حُدُوث (ḥudūth) | An action that occurs at a specific time — has a beginning and end; temporary |
| ثُبُوت (thubūt) | A quality that is continuous, timeless — an inborn or permanent attribute |
اسم الفاعل conveys ḥudūth:
| اسم الفاعل | Translation | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| جَالِس | (currently) sitting | He was standing before; he may stand again |
| شَارِب | (currently) drinking | He was not drinking before; he will stop |
الصِّفَة المُشَبَّهَة conveys thubūt:
| صِفَة مُشَبَّهَة | Translation | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| كَرِيم | generous (as a lasting quality) | Not "being generous right now" — it is who he is |
| شَرِيف | noble | An inherent characteristic |
| طَاهِر | pure (of heart/character) | A permanent attribute |
Common Patterns of the Ṣifat Mushabbaha
Unlike اسم الفاعل (which has a fixed فَاعِل pattern), the ṣifat mushabbaha comes in many patterns. The most frequent:
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| فَعِيل | كَرِيم، شَرِيف، كَبِير | generous, noble, great |
| فَعَل | حَسَن، بَطَل | handsome, hero |
| فُعُل | جُنُب | in a state of major ritual impurity |
| فَعلَان | عَطشَان، جَوعَان | thirsty, hungry |
| أَفعَل | أَحمَر، أَبيَض | red, white |
Examples from the Quran
وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا — Surah al-Israa 23 كَرِيمًا — ṣifat mushabbaha describing the permanent quality of the speech commanded.
Difference 2: No Tense — Timeless
Ismu al-fāʿil can refer to past, present, or future: جَالِس = was sitting / is sitting / will sit. Ṣifat mushabbaha has no tenses — it describes a continuous quality with no beginning or end.
Difference 3: Derived from Intransitive (Lāzim) Verbs
Ṣifat mushabbaha is derived mostly from لَازِم (intransitive) verbs, because it describes a state of being, not an action passing to an object. Ismu al-fāʿil can come from both transitive and intransitive verbs.
Difference 4: Conforms to the Muḍāriʿ Pattern
The sākin/mutaḥarrik letter pattern in ṣifat mushabbaha usually matches the muḍāriʿ of the parent verb — unlike ismu al-fāʿil which always follows the فَاعِل pattern regardless.
Difference 5: What the Marfūʿ Noun Becomes
Ismu al-fāʿil: what was the مفعول به in the verbal sentence remains مفعول به
ضَرَبَ حَامِدٌ بَكرًا → حَامِدٌ ضَارِبٌ بَكرًا
Ṣifat mushabbaha: what was the فاعل becomes مُضَاف إِلَيه
طَهُرَ قَلبُ حَامِدٍ → حَامِدٌ طَاهِرُ الْقَلبِ (Ḥāmid is pure of heart) سَرُعَ حِسَابُ اللهِ → اللهُ سَرِيعُ الحِسَابِ (Allah is swift in reckoning)
Two Common Patterns
Pattern أَفعَل — Colors and Physical Traits
Covers colors and permanent physical attributes (defects, traits of body):
| Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| أَحمَر | red |
| أَبيَض | white |
| أَصفَر | yellow |
| أَزرَق | blue |
| أَعرَج | lame |
| أَعوَر | one-eyed |
| أَكحَل | having darkly-lined eyes |
Pattern فَعلَان — Intense Temporary States
Temporary but qualitative states — not active actions:
| Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|
| شَبعَان | full (from eating) |
| جَوعَان | hungry |
| غَضبَان | angry |
| رَيَّان | satiated from drinking |
| عَطشَان | thirsty |
Session References
- Selected Ayaat of Surah al-Israa Session 2: First difference (thubūt vs. ḥudūth) introduced; كَرِيم established as ṣifat mushabbaha from كَرُمَ يَكرُمُ.
- Selected Ayaat of Surah al-Israa Session 3: Differences 2–5 added; أَفعَل and فَعلَان patterns; ṣifat mushabbaha with genitive construction (مضاف إليه); applied to لِسَانِ المُؤمِنِ and سَرِيعُ الحِسَابِ examples.