Why is the Arabic alif maksura sometimes read as a ya

Question

Why is the final alif maksura of Habibullaah Kalakaani read as a ya? If so, then why doesn't it have two dots beneath, or is the transcription wrong?

Thanks.

Answer 1

In some Arab countries (e.g. Egypt) final ى is written without any dots, regardless of whether it is pronounced /ī/ or /ā/. This is also the spelling convention for Persian and Urdu. But in some Arab countries (e.g. Syria and Lebanon) it is usual to write ي if it is pronounced /ī/ and ى if it is pronounced /ā/. Usage is not standardised.