Tafsir of Al-Fatihah 1:4

Recitations: It has been recited as Malik yawm al-din (Master of the Day of Recompense), Malik (King), and Milk (with a light lam).

Abu Hanifa (may Allah be pleased with him) recited it as Malaka yawm al-din, using the verb form and placing the word yawm in the accusative case (nasb). Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Malika in the accusative. Others recited Maliku as an accusative of praise, while some recited Maliku in the nominative.

Malik (King) is the preferred choice because it is the recitation of the people of the Two Sanctuaries (Mecca and Medina), and because of the verse: "To whom belongs the sovereignty this day?" (Ghafir: 16), and the verse: "The King of mankind" (An-Nas: 2). Furthermore, al-mulk (sovereignty) is general, while al-milk (ownership) is specific.

The Day of Recompense: Yawm al-din is the Day of Requital. An example of this is the saying: "As you judge, you shall be judged" (kama tadin tudan). Also, the verse of the Hamasa: "And nothing remained but hostility; we requited them as they requited us."

Grammatical Analysis: If you ask: "What is the nature of this genitive construction (idafa)?" I say: It is the attribution of an active participle to an adverbial phrase, following the path of expansion (ittisa') to function like a direct object, similar to the saying: "O thief of the night, [you have stolen] the people of the house." The meaning remains adverbial.

The meaning is: He is the Master of all affairs on the Day of Recompense, as in the verse: "To whom belongs the sovereignty this day?" (Ghafir: 16).

If you ask: "The attribution of an active participle is not a 'true' genitive, so it does not provide the meaning of definiteness; how then is it permissible for it to function as an adjective for a definite noun?" I say: It is only "not true" when the active participle is intended to denote the present or future, making it effectively separate, like saying "I am the master of the hour" or "tomorrow." However, when the past is intended—like saying "He was the master of his slave yesterday"—or a continuous state—like "Zayd is the master of the slaves"—the genitive is true, just like saying "the master of the slaves." This is the intended meaning in Malik yawm al-din.

It is also possible that the meaning is "The King of affairs on the Day of Recompense," as in the verses: "And the companions of Paradise will call out..." (Al-A'raf: 44) and "And the companions of the Heights will call out..." (Al-A'raf: 48). The evidence for this is the recitation of Abu Hanifa.

Conclusion: These attributes applied to Allah—that He is the Lord, the Master of the worlds from whose dominion nothing escapes, the Bestower of all blessings (apparent and hidden, great and small), and the Master of all affairs in the final outcome on the Day of Reward and Punishment—following the indication that praise belongs exclusively to Him and that He is worthy of it in the phrase "All praise is due to Allah," serve as proof that no one is more deserving of praise and commendation than He who possesses these attributes.