اِسْم فَاعِل
ism fa'il
Active participle
Sarf · morphologyDerived noun (mushtaqq)core term3,341+ in the Qur'an
Also written: Sarf · Mizan · Meezan · Roots · Word scales
In one line
The active participle — the one who does the action (e.g. كاتِب, “a writer”).
Classical definition
اسْمُ الفَاعِلِ صِفَةٌ تُؤْخَذُ مِنَ المَصْدَرِ لِلدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى مَنْ قَامَ بِالفِعْلِ.
(شذا العرف)
How to spot it
Recognition test
On the pattern فَاعِل (from a 3-letter root) and naming the doer — كاتِب، عالِم، قائِل.
Related terms