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The Qur’an Revisited: The use of the passive voice
A scholar has calculated that out of a total of 18,181 verbs in the Qur’an, only 957 have the passive form. When does the Qur’an use the passive? Some findings and insights.
There is perhaps nothing in the Qur’an that has not been analyzed and counted – including the number of verbs in the passive voice. According to a scholar, out of a total of 18,181 verbs in the Qur’an, only 957 have the passive form1 – that’s only 5.27% of all verbs.
I have not verified this number, and the exact number may vary depending on the reading tradition, but I can well understand that the passive voice rarely occurs in the Qur’an, and that the Arabic language generally prefers the active voice.
When things are rare, they are easier to study, like the 5.27 percent of verbs in the Qur’an that are in the passive form. Qur’an commentators and experts have tried to categorize their use from early on. Anyone who reads the Qur’an has to get used to the fact that things are not absolute. At first glance, a few Suras even seem to contradict each other or at least complement each other – and so it won’t be a surprise that there are no universally valid rules for the use of the passive voice in the Qur’an.
In this article, I will try to summarize the most important findings about the passive voice in the Holy Qur’an, which can be found in many books and works.
Which passive forms are used in the Qur’an?
All passive constructions occur in the Qur’an:
- the regular passive verb (changing the vowels: u-i-a)
- verbs in the active voice with a passive meaning (especially form VII: اِنْفَعَلَ)
- passive participles (اِسْمُ الْمَفْعُولِ)
In this article, however, we will focus only on verbs.
Sometimes, different passive constructions coexist in the same context, as in Sura 82, The Cleaving Asunder/Torn Apart (الْاِنْفِطارُ). Note that most of the translators mixed the active and passive voices when rendering the following Arabic verses into English.
| 82:1 | When the sky is torn apart, | إِذَا ٱلسَّمَآءُ ٱنفَطَرَتْ | active; VII-verb |
| 82:2 | when the stars are scattered, | وَإِذَا ٱلْكَوَاكِبُ ٱنتَثَرَتْ | active; VII-verb |
| 82:3 | when the seas burst forth, | وَإِذَا ٱلْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْ | passive; II-verb |
| 82:4 | when graves turn inside out | وَإِذَا ٱلْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْ | passive; I-verb; 4 root letters |
Sura 82: A warning of the Last Judgement
The name The Cleaving Asunder (الْانْفِطار) is the infinitive noun of a VII-verb that occurs in the first line of the Sura: انْفَطَرَ – يَنْفَطِرُ which means to break; to split.
Most Qur’anic scholars place this Sura in the last group of the Meccan revelations. The first verses are similar in content to the preceding Sura 81: an allusion to the Last Hour, when the world as known to man will end and the final reality of the Hereafter will begin. The Sura deals with man’s ingratitude and his refusal to admit that the Day of Judgment will come.
In the Qur’an, the passive voice has four special functions. We will check them now.
Four important functions of the passive in the Qur’an
Emphasizing Allah’s miracles
The passive voice is often used to emphasize Allah’s miraculous acts and show gratitude. The identity of the doer (= Allah) is clear in these contexts.
In the following verses of Sura 81, The Folding Up (التَّكْوِيرُ), some signs of Allah’s greatness are described in the passive voice, although it is clear to the believers that only Allah is capable of doing such things and that they don’t happen by themselves.
| 81:1 | When the sun is shrouded in darkness, | إِذَا ٱلشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ |
| 81:2 | when the stars are dimmed, | وَإِذَا ٱلنُّجُومُ ٱنكَدَرَتْ |
| 81:3 | when the mountains are set in motion, | وَإِذَا ٱلْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ |
Sura 81 or the question of: What happens in the Last Hour?
Sura 81 describes what happens in the “Last Hour”, which heralds the resurrection of mankind. It is a very early Sura (many say the seventh in the order of revelation).
On the Day of Judgement, according to the Qur’an, the earth will shatter and everyone will experience the consequences of their deeds on earth. The sun will lose its power and we will become completely bare and lifeless as a result of the “folding-up”, after which this Sura is named. The noun تَكْوِيرٌ is the infinitive noun (مَصْدَرٌ) of the II-verb كَوَّرَ – يُكَوِّرُ which means to twist; to roll into a ball; to wrap.
The same fate will befall the stars, which will darken before our eyes. The massive mountains of the earth will be torn away on the Day of Judgement and hurled into space.
Allah instructs people how to treat each other
The passive voice is also used when Allah instructs people how to treat each other. Here’s an example from Sura 4, The Women (النِّسَاءُ):
| 4:86 | But [even in battle] when you [believers] are offered a greeting, respond with a better one, or at least return it: God keeps account of everything. | وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍۢ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا |
The II-verb حَيّا – يُحَيّي means to say hello, to greet; to keep alive. In the above verse, it is used in the passive voice: حُيِّيَ – يُحَيّا. This helps to signify that this order is directed to everyone and that Allah teaches the believers the etiquette of returning greetings to everyone who greets them. In short, the doer (= agent) is deleted to express that this direction is not for a specific agent, but for everyone.
The context of Sura 4:86 is not entirely clear, but many scholars have suggested that it probably refers to an offer of peace by people with whom the believers are at war, as indicated by the brackets used by the translator (Abdul Haleem). But it also refers to individuals who may be enemies but have outwardly peaceful intentions.
What is the topic of Sura 4?
The title The Woman (النِّسَاءُ) was given to this Sura because quite a few parts deal with women’s rights and issues related to family life in general – for example, inheritance law (last verses), the prohibition of marriage within certain degrees of consanguinity, or marital relationships.
Overall, this Sura is classified in the time of the revelations in Medina. Experts assume that most parts of Sura 4 were revealed in the fourth year after the Hijrah (هِجْرة), i.e., the prophet Muhammad’s departure and migration from Mecca to Medina in the year 622 CE.
The context of prohibitions
The passive voice is also used in the context of prohibitions. We will see that in a verse of Sura 5, The Table (الْمائِدةُ), where the passive voice is used. But that’s not always the case, as the Qur’an uses both the active and passive voice to convey prohibitions. In a verse of Sura 2, The Cow (الْبَقَرَةُ), the active voice is used.
| 5:3 | You are forbidden to eat carrion; blood; pig’s meat; any animal over which any name other than God’s has been invoked | حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ |
| 2:173 | He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, pig’s meat, and animals over which any name other than God’s has been invoked. | إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةَ وَٱلدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ بِهِۦ |
Sura 5: One of the last pieces revealed to Prophet Muhammad
Sura 5 The Table (الْمائِدةُ) is possibly one of the last passages of the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet. Scholars assume that it dates back to the time of his farewell pilgrimage (حِجَّة ٱلْوَدَاع) at the end of January 632 (10 AH), the first and last pilgrimage of the prophet Muhammad after the conquest of Mecca (فَتْحُ مَكَّةَ) in 8 AH.
In early March 632, Muhammad reached Mecca and performed the pilgrimage with his followers, during which all the details of the pilgrimage ceremonies and the associated ritual obligations, including the integration of pre-Islamic customs, were laid down. According to Islamic tradition, Sura 5, verse 3 was part of Muhammad’s famous speech on Mount ʿArafat (جبل عرفات), a kind of legacy to his followers.
The above verse, Sura 5:3, is a long verse which also includes this famous passage:
Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and chosen as your religion Islam: [total devotion to God].
ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْدِ ينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَـٰمَ دِينًا
The conquest of Mecca was a military campaign undertaken by Muhammad and his companions and took place between December 629 and January 630. The fall of the city to Muhammad formally marked the end of the conflict between his followers and the Quraysh and their supporters.
Now, what about the title of Sura 5? Sura 5 owes its title The Table (الْمائِدةُ) to the request of Jesus’ disciples for a “meal from heaven” (مَآئِدَة مِن السَّمَآءِ) in verse 112 and Jesus’ prayer in this context (verse 114).
Expressing Allah’s disapproval
Passive constructions are used to express Allah’s disapproval, criticism, rebuke, blame.
| 5:64 | The Jews have said, ‘Allah is tight-fisted,’ but it is they who are tight-fisted, and they are rejected for what they have said. | وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا۟ بِمَا. |
The bold type passive verb forms in the above verses indicate either supplication or curses.
Deep-Dive: What does “Allah is tight-fisted” mean?
In verse 5:64, we encounter two words of the same root: مَغْلُولٌ and غُلَّ. So, what does the root غ-ل-ل mean?
Let’s first check the core meaning of the I-verb غَلَّ – يَغُلُّ. It means to chain; to fetter; to apply a leash or collar on someone. However, in the passive voice, the verb’s meaning is different. In Lane’s Lexicon, we learn that the expression غُلَّتْ يَدُهُ إِلَى عُنُقِهِ (passive!) means: His hand was withheld from expenditure. In simple words, it means not to spend or give away anything; to be niggardly.
To say that someone’s hands are tied, in Arabic usage, is to say that he is miserly, that something is preventing him from being generous and generous. Thus, the Jewish observation does not mean that Allah’s hand is literally tied, but that Allah is miserly and stingy. It can also mean “lack of power” or “unlimited power”.
So, the saying of the Jews mentioned in this verse, “Allah’s hand is shackled” as well the phrase in 3:181, “God is poor while we are rich” (إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ فَقِيرٌۭ وَنَحْنُ أَغْنِيَآءُ) is basically an elliptical description of their attitude towards Islam and the Muslims. It’s an attitude of disbelief and sarcasm that could be paraphrased as follows: “If you Muslims were doing Allah’s will, He would have given you power and riches. But your poverty and weakness contradict your claim.”
Such deep elliptical phrases have a meaning that goes far beyond the historical context they refer to. The phrase we are looking at shows an attitude of mind that mistakes worldly riches or power for spiritual success. The Qur’an then takes issue with this attitude and says that those who think that material success is proof that Allah approves of them are blind to spiritual truths and therefore morally powerless. “They are utterly self-condemned in the sight of God”, as Muhammad Asad writes in his book The Message of the Qur’an.
But why are the Jews explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an?
It appears that the Jews of Medina, seeing the poverty of the Muslims, made fun of their belief that they were struggling in Allah’s cause and that the Qur’an was divinely revealed. For centuries, the Jews had lived in humiliation and misery. Their former greatness had become a legend and seemed too distant to be restored, so they blasphemed that Allah (God) had become a miser, and since the door to Allah’s treasury was now permanently locked, Allah had nothing to offer them but suffering and misery.
But this attitude is not unique to the Jews. People often utter such blasphemies when faced with trials and tribulations, instead of turning to God in humble prayer and supplication. They blame God for the misery from which they themselves have suffered.
Unbelievers and the use of the active voice
The active voice is common in the Qur’an and finding special uses for it can be tough. However, a special use occurs when the Qur’an talks about Allah in a specific situation:
The active voice is used when Allah’s omnipresence is questioned by the unbelievers!
In such a context, the emphasis is on the greatness of Allah, the doer of the action. The following verses of Sura 50, Qāf (سُورَةُ ق), illustrate this function:
| 50:6 | Do they not see the sky above them – how We have built and adorned it, with no rifts in it; | أَفَلَمْ يَنظُرُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَـٰهَا وَزَيَّنَّـٰهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِن فُرُوجٍۢ |
| 50:7 | how We spread out the earth and put solid mountains on it, and caused every kind of joyous plant to grow in it, | وَٱلْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَـٰهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍۭ بَهِيجٍۢ |
Sura 50 and the mysterious letters
Sura 50 dates from the Mecca period and seems to have been revealed to the Prophet in the fourth year of his mission. It begins and ends with a reference to the Qur’an and is entirely devoted to the twin problems of death and resurrection.
But why the name Qaf? This goes back to the first verse, which contains only the letter ق. Chronologically, this is the second appearance of the so-called mysterious letters, in Arabic called muqattaʿat (حُرُوف مُقَطَّعَات).2 These stand-alone letters are combinations of between one and five Arabic letters that appear at the beginning of 29 of the Quran’s 114 Suras, immediately after the Islamic phrase بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَحْمٰنِ الرَحيمِ.
Footnotes
- Source: Aziz Khalil (1989): The Passive Voice in English and Classical Arabic: Formation, Type and Function ↩︎
- The first occurrence of the mysterious letters was in Sura 68 – The Pen (القَلَم) – which was revealed before Sura 50 in the chronological order and is one of the oldest parts of the Qur’an. ↩︎
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