مَفْعُول بِهِ
maf'ul bih
Direct object (maf'ul bih)
Nahw · syntaxSyntactic rolecore term9,146+ in the Qur'an
Also written: Maf'ul · Maful · Object of the verb · Direct object
In one line
The direct object — the noun in the accusative (nasb) that the action falls upon.
Classical definition
المَفْعُولُ بِهِ هُوَ الاسْمُ المَنْصُوبُ الَّذِي يَقَعُ بِهِ الفِعْلُ.
(الآجرّومية)
What it is
After the doer, many verbs need a receiver of the action. That receiver is the maf'ul bih, marked in nasb (fatha or its substitute). It may be a noun, or a pronoun attached to the verb, and it can be fronted for emphasis.
How to spot it
Recognition test
Find the verb, then ask “whom?” or “what?” The answer is the maf'ul bih, in nasb.
In the Qur'an
وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَاءَ
Al-Baqarah 2:31 — “And He taught Adam the names”
ٱلْأَسْمَاءَ is the maf'ul bih — what was taught — in nasb, shown by the fatha.
Don't confuse it with
Both مفعول مطلق and حال are also in nasb: the first repeats the verb's own meaning, the second answers “how?”. The maf'ul bih answers “whom/what?”.
Related terms
Common questions
Must the object come after the verb?
No — it can be fronted for emphasis (إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ) or attached as a pronoun. The nasb ending, not the position, identifies it.