Some people recite al-Fatihah saying: "Malik yawm al-din" (Master of the Day of Judgment). What is the difference between "Malik" and "Malik" in meaning?

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

The Shaykh : No, you should ask about the difference in meaning, because the difference in wording is clear: this one has an alif and this one does not have an alif . But it seems your question is about the difference in meaning.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : The linguists say, and this is naturally the domain of the linguists, that is more eloquent and more comprehensive... than . means the Master of the reckoning.

The questioner : Malik means the owner. Does Malik mean the owner?

The Shaykh : No, it is more eloquent than "owner," because an owner does not own the owner. Be careful, it is not permissible to interpret as meaning "owner." I am your owner and you are my owner, 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 "people" 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 striker (one who strikes a lot), meaning he strikes frequently. This is the exaggeration. And there are many, many examples like this. And the two recitations, and , are two authentic, mass-transmitted recitations 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, so he would sometimes recite and sometimes . The reciters, whom they call the Seven Reciters, and there are ten reciters, are like the hadith scholars. A hadith scholar would receive many hadiths and miss others; a second imam would receive hadiths that the first did not receive, but would miss hadiths that the first did receive. And so on. The reciters are approximately like this. The recitation of Hafs, which we recite today, is the recitation of . The recitation of is the recitation of other reciters, and both are authentic recitations.