بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Allah mentions in surat A’Zummar:
“And every soul will be fully compensated [for] what it did; and He is most knowing of what they do.” [39:70]
The context here is the day of judgement, the day every soul will be given what it deserves according to the actions in the dunya. Allah mentions that He will judge based on what the soul “did” and is most knowing of what they “do” – translation never gives justice to the meaning.
Allah uses the word “‘amilat” to describe what we will be judged on, then uses the word “yaf’aloon” for what He knows we have done. Here, these two words are seemingly the same, which would be the case if they were said separately. However, in Arabic grammar when two words of the same meaning are mentioned together, they have different meanings.
Scholars explained that “‘amilat” in this context is referring to actions committed knowingly; bad deeds that we purposely carried out. “Yaf’aloon” is used for actions that were not on purpose, a true mistake without any intentions. This is not to say that we should not ask for forgiveness of these mistakes, rather Allah here is covering for the mistakes that we do not even realise we commit.
This is also why istighfar and remembrance of Allah is important. Knowing these mistakes exist it should motivate us to do more good, as Allah tells us good deeds wipe out bad deeds:
“And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.” [11:114]
It is also to tell us, that if we do away with the sins we commit on purpose, Allah will completely forgive those we commit without knowing.
May Allah increase us in knowledge in order to abstain from the actions which will be the biggest burden upon the sinners on that day.
Allah knows best.