The variant reads with a shadda on the 'ra' (Form II: farradnaha), which intensifies the meaning from 'made it obligatory' to 'did ordain' or 'strictly decreed'. (Additionally, there is another variant in the same verse where a shadda is added to the 'dhal' in tadhdhakkarun, meaning 'constantly remember').

The Variant adds a shadda to the letter dhal (تَذَّكَّرُونَ), indicating the assimilation of an original second 'ta' (from تَتَذَكَّرُونَ). This morphological intensification shifts the meaning from a simple action ('take heed') to a continuous or intensive one ('constantly remember').

The case of 'four' changes from nominative (marfu') to accusative (mansub). In the nominative, it functions as the predicate of 'testimony' (the testimony is four). In the accusative, it serves as a cognate accusative (maf'ul mutlaq) for an implied verb (let him testify four testimonies).

In Hafs, the heavy particle 'anna' makes the following word 'la'nata' accusative (mansub). In the variant, the particle is lightened to 'an' (mukhaffafah min al-thaqilah), making 'la'natu' nominative (marfu') as the subject of a nominal sentence.

The word changes from accusative to nominative, altering the grammatical structure from an adverbial accusative ('and the fifth time') to the subject of a nominal sentence ('And the fifth is').

The Hafs reading uses the noun 'ghadaba' (anger) with the accusative particle 'anna' making 'Allah' take the genitive case. The variant reads 'ghadiba' as a past tense verb with the lightened particle 'an', making 'Allah' the subject in the nominative case.

The word is read with a fatha (accusative case) in Hafs, functioning as an absolute object ('and the fifth time'), whereas the variant reads it with a damma (nominative case), making it the subject of a nominal sentence ('And the fifth is').

The vowel on the letter ya' changes from a kasra in Hafs to a fatha in the Variant, shifting the word from an active participle ('clear' or 'clarifying') to a passive participle ('clarified').

Hafs reads both words in the nominative case ('sahaabun zhulumaatun') as separate entities. The variant reads them as an Idafah (possessive) construction ('sahaabu zhulumaatin'), removing the tanween from the first word and changing the second word to the genitive case.

The word changes from nominative (marfu') as the predicate of an implied subject in Hafs, to genitive (majrur) in the variant, acting in apposition (badal) to the earlier word 'darkness(es)' (كَظُلُمَٰتٖ).

The Hafs reading uses the Form II verb (yunazzilu), which implies a gradual, intensive, or repeated sending down. The variant uses the Form IV verb (yunzilu), which indicates a general or single act of sending down.

The Hafs reading uses the past tense verb 'khalaqa' (created) with the object 'kulla' (every) in the accusative case. The variant changes the verb to the active participle/noun 'khaaliqu' (Creator), which places the following word 'kulli' (every) into the genitive case due to a construct state (idafah).

The active participle (mubayyināt, 'clear' or 'clarifying') is read as a passive participle (mubayyanāt, 'clarified' or 'made clear') by changing the kasra to a fatha on the yāʾ.

The verb changes from the active voice 'li-yahkuma' (so that he may judge) to the passive voice 'li-yuhkama' (to have it judged) by changing the internal vowels.

The verb changes from the active voice 'yahkuma' (he may judge) to the passive voice 'yuhkama' (to have it judged) through a change in vowels.

The verb is read in the active voice (istakhlafa) in Hafs, meaning 'He made successors', and in the passive voice (ustukhlifa) in the variant, meaning 'were made successors'.

The prefix changes from a 'taa' (2nd person singular) to a 'yaa' (3rd person singular/plural), shifting the subject of the verb from the addressee (the Prophet) to the disbelievers themselves.

The variant features Silat Mim al-Jam' (lengthening the plural 'mim' with a dammah and an added small waw). This is a purely phonetic/tajweed difference common to reciters like Ibn Kathir and Abu Ja'far, and carries no actual semantic change.

A change in the vowels shifts the verb from the passive form (are returned) to the active form (return).