What is the difference between "Malik of the Day of Judgment" and "Mālik of the Day of Judgment"?

The questioner : My master, I heard you once in prayer reciting the Fatiha, and you read: . What is the difference between and in terms of wording?

The Shaykh : No, do you mean in terms of meaning? Otherwise, the difference in terms of wording is clear: this one has an alif in , and this one does not have an alif in . But it seems your question is: what is the difference in terms of meaning?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : The linguists say—and this is, of course, the domain of the linguists—that is more eloquent and broader in meaning than . means the owner of the reckoning.

The questioner : Owner, owner? Does it come to mean "owner" as in "companion"?

The Shaykh : No; it is more eloquent than "companion," because a companion does not own his companion. Keep in mind that it is not permissible to interpret as meaning "companion." I am your companion and you are my companion, but neither of us is the owner of the other. However, the Lord of the worlds is the owner of all people. is more eloquent than . The meaning is the same, but it is more eloquent. For example, you will find words that contain exaggeration: so-and-so is a striker, meaning he strikes; so-and-so is a great striker, meaning he strikes a lot. This is exaggeration, meaning. And so on, there are many, many examples. And the two readings, and , are two authentic, mass-transmitted readings from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). That is, this verse was revealed to him (peace and blessings be upon him) in two forms. Therefore, he would sometimes read and sometimes read . The readers, whom they call the Seven Readers, and in some cases ten readers, are like the hadith scholars. A hadith scholar would receive many hadiths, and other hadiths would be missed by him. A second imam would receive hadiths that did not reach the first, but he would miss hadiths that reached the first. And so on. So the readers are approximately like this. The reading of Hafs, which we read today, is the reading of . The reading of is the reading of other readers. Both are authentic readings.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : And you.