A change in voweling shifts the word from 'aymān' (oaths, from the root y-m-n) to 'īmān' (faith, from the root a-m-n), altering the meaning of what the deniers are said to lack.

The word changes from plural (mosques) in Hafs to singular (mosque) in the variant, shifting the reference from places of worship in general to the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram) specifically.

Hafs uses verbal nouns (masdars) referring to the actions of 'giving water' and 'inhabiting'. The variant uses plural active participles, referring directly to the people performing the actions ('water-servers' and 'maintainers').

The Hafs recitation reads the word in the singular form ('your clan'), while the variant recitation adds an Alif to read it in the plural form ('your kinsfolks' or 'clans').

The verb changes from the passive form in Hafs (they are led astray / go astray) to the active transitive form in the variant (they lead others astray) due to a change in the diacritical vowels.

The verb changes from the passive 'yuḍallu' in Hafs (they are led astray) to the active 'yaḍillu' in the variant (they go astray themselves).

The case vowel on the ta' marbuta changes from damma (nominative) in Hafs to fatha (accusative) in the variant (e.g., Ya'qub). In Hafs, it starts a new independent nominal sentence ('while the word of Allah is the highest'). In the variant, it is grammatically conjoined to the preceding clause, functioning as a direct object to the verb 'made' ('and made... the Word of Allah the highest').

Hafs reads 'rahmatun' (mercy) in the nominative case, acting as a predicate ('and he is a mercy'). The variant reads 'rahmatin' in the genitive case, coordinating it with the preceding prepositional phrase ('he believes in the believers and in mercy').

The Hafs reading uses the Form II passive verb (tunazzala), implying a gradual or repeated sending down. The variant uses the Form IV passive verb (tunzala), implying a single, complete act of sending down.

The verbs change from first-person plural active ('We pardon', 'We punish') to third-person passive ('is pardoned', 'will be punished'). Consequently, the accusative object ('contingent' / طَآئِفَةَۢ) in Hafs becomes the nominative subject ('faction' / طَآئِفَةُۢ) of the passive verb in the variant.

Hafs reads the word as the singular 'ṣalātaka' (your prayer) with a fatḥah on the ta', while the variant reads it as the plural 'ṣalawātika' (your prayers) with a kasrah on the ta' for the accusative case.

The Hafs recitation includes the conjunction 'wa' (and) connecting it to the previous context, whereas the variant omits it, making it an independent starting sentence.

The verb changes from the active 'assasa' (he founded) to the passive 'ussisa' (is founded). Consequently, the following noun changes from the accusative direct object 'bunyānahu' to the nominative deputy subject 'bunyānuhu'.

The vowels on the two verbs are swapped, changing the sequence from active then passive (Hafs) to passive then active (Variant).

The prefix changes from the third-person 'yaa' (they) to the second-person 'taa' (you), shifting the verb from a declarative statement about the hypocrites to a direct address.