If we hear a speaker say: daraba al-muʿallimu al-tifla ('the teacher struck the child').
We understand that the one who struck the child is the teacher. So the doer (faʿil) of the striking is — therefore — known. For this reason we say: the verb (daraba), whose subject is known, is a verb in the active voice (mabni li-l-maʿlum).
Definition of the Passive-Voice Verb (Al-Fiʿl al-Mabni li-l-Majhul)
If we hear a speaker say: duriba al-tiflu ('the child was struck').
We know that the child was struck, but we do not know who struck him — that is, we do not know its subject. For this reason we say: the verb (duriba), whose subject is omitted, is a verb in the passive voice (mabni li-l-majhul).
Examples of Active and Passive Voice Verbs
qada al-raʿi al-qatiʿ-a
— The shepherd led the flock. (active)
qarrar-tu al-rahil-a
— I decided on departure. (active)
shariba al-marid-u al-dawaʾ-a
— The patient drank the medicine. (active)
qussima al-irth-u
— The inheritance was divided. (passive)
ustudʿiya al-muttaham-u
— The accused was summoned. (passive)
yuʿaz-u al-muʾminun
— The believers are admonished. (passive)
Forming the Passive-Voice Verb from the Active-Voice Verb
1 — A past-tense verb is made passive — when it ends in a sound consonant — by giving its first letter a damma and the letter before its last a kasra. For example:
laʿiba : luʿib
(active: he played) : (passive: was played).
dahraja : duhrija
(active: he rolled [something]) : (passive: was rolled).
2 — If the past-tense verb has a weak final or pre-final letter, it is made passive by converting its alif to yaʾ; the kasra is given if it is a triliteral hollow verb (ajwaf). For example:
qala : qila
(active: he said) : (passive: was said).
istadʿa : ustudʿiya
(active: he summoned) : (passive: was summoned).
3 — A hollow verb beyond the triliteral pattern is made passive by giving its first letter a damma and converting the alif before its last letter to yaʾ. For example:
aʿana : uʿina
(active: he aided) : (passive: was aided).
istafada : ustufida
(active: he benefited) : (passive: was benefited from).
istataʿa : ustutiʿa
(active: he was able) : (passive: was made possible).
4 — If the sound verb is augmented by an alif, the augmented letter is converted to waw. For example:
baraka : burika
(active: he blessed) : (passive: was blessed).
sharaka : shurika
(active: he shared/partnered) : (passive: was partnered with).
5 — If the past-tense verb is geminated (mudaʿʿaf — i.e., doubled root letter), only its first letter is given a damma. For example:
radda : rudda
(active: he returned [something]) : (passive: was returned).
sadda : sudda
(active: he blocked) : (passive: was blocked).
6 — If the past-tense verb is defective (naqis — i.e., its last root letter is a weak letter, often alif), this alif is frequently converted to yaʾ. For example:
raʿa : ruʿiya
(active: he tended/herded) : (passive: was tended).
daʿa : duʿiya
(active: he called) : (passive: was called).
7 — A present-tense verb is made passive by giving its first letter a damma and the letter before its last a fatha. For example:
yasʿadu : yusʿadu
(active: he ascends) : (passive: is ascended/raised).
8 — A present-tense verb is made passive — when it has a weak final or pre-final letter — by giving its first letter a damma and converting the long-vowel letter to alif. For example:
yalumu : yulamu
(active: he blames) : (passive: is blamed).
yabiʿu : yubaʿu
(active: he sells) : (passive: is sold).
yajni : yujna
(active: he reaps) : (passive: is reaped).
9 — When a verb that takes two objects is made passive, the first direct object becomes naʾib al-faʿil (the deputy subject), while the second direct object remains as the second direct object. Example:
aʿta Saʿid Bashshar (mafʿul bih awwal) malan (mafʿul bih than)
— Saʿid gave Bashshar (1st direct object) money (2nd direct object). (active)
uʿtiya Bashshar (naʾib faʿil) malan (mafʿul bih than)
— Bashshar (deputy subject) was given money (2nd direct object). (passive)
Iʿrab of the Active and Passive Voice Verbs
— akala al-tiflu al-tuffaha ('the child ate the apple'). akala: a past-tense verb fixed on the manifest fatha at its end. al-tiflu: the subject (faʿil) in the nominative case, marked by the manifest damma at its end. al-tuffaha: the direct object in the accusative case, marked by the manifest fatha at its end.
— kusiya al-saʾilu thawban ('the beggar was clothed in a garment'). kusiya: a past-tense verb fixed on the manifest fatha at its end, in the passive voice. al-saʾilu: the deputy subject (naʾib al-faʿil) in the nominative case, marked by the manifest damma. thawban: a second direct object in the accusative case, marked by the manifest fatha.
Question: Why is (thawban) parsed as a second direct object?
Answer: Because the first direct object (al-saʾil) was promoted to deputy subject. The original active form would have been, for example: kasa Nabilun al-saʾila thawban ('Nabil clothed the beggar in a garment').
— khubbira al-bakhilu al-ihsana wajiban ('the miser was informed that benevolence is obligatory'). khubbira: a past-tense verb fixed on the manifest fatha at its end, in the passive voice. al-bakhilu: the deputy subject in the nominative case, marked by the manifest damma. al-ihsan: a second direct object in the accusative case, marked by the manifest fatha. wajiban: a third direct object in the accusative case, marked by the manifest fatha.
The Passive-Voice Verb in the Noble Quran
Allah Most High said:
— "And the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow." — Quran 69:14 (Sahih International)
— "The Day the shin will be uncovered..." — Quran 68:42 (Sahih International)
— "And when regret overcame them..." (literally 'when [it] was dropped into their hands') — Quran 7:149 (Sahih International)
— "...and the matter was accomplished, and it [the ship] came to rest on Mount Judi." — Quran 11:44 (Sahih International)
— "...and their hearts were sealed over, so they do not understand." — Quran 9:87 (Sahih International)