The MAQL itself always returns numbers - values of metrics somehow calculated. It will not return values of attributes.
But you can get a list of attribute values with some property by using this attribute in an insight together with a metric (or a filter).
So in your case you can do this:
• put the id into the insight
• add a filter for attribute status to that insight and select the value "active"
or
• create a metric
SELECT COUNT(id) WHERE status = active
• use this metric in an insight together with the attribute id