The verb changes from the active voice (yas'alu - will question) to the passive voice (yus'alu - is asked) by changing the vowel on the first letter from a fatha to a damma.

The vowel on the letter mim changes from a kasra (genitive) to a fatha (accusative). This shifts the grammatical function from an adjoined noun indicating 'punishment of that day' to an adverb of time indicating 'punishment on that day'.

The difference is purely phonetic, featuring Imalah/Taqleel (indicated by the dot under the letter) which inclines the final 'a' vowel towards an 'i' or 'e' sound. The core meaning is identical, though the provided variant translation renders it slightly differently stylistically.

Hafs reads the noun in the plural form (amānātihim, 'their pledges'), while the variant reads it in the singular form (amānatihim, 'their trustworthiness').

The word changes from the plural form (testimonies) in Hafs to the singular form (testimony) in the variant.

Hafs uses the Form III verb يُلَٰقُواْ (they meet/face), whereas the variant uses the Form I verb يَلْقَوْاْ (they encounter). Both readings are accommodated by the identical unpointed Uthmani rasm (يلقوا).

The vowels change from damma on the nun and sad (nuṣub) to a fatha on the nun and sukoon on the sad (naṣb). This shifts the meaning from rushing toward 'a goal' or 'marker' to rushing toward 'a statue' or 'idol'.