—he said: “When the verse, ‘Whether you disclose what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills; and Allah is Able to do all things’ [Qur’an 2:284] was sent down, something entered their hearts more distressing than anything that had ever entered them before.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then said: ‘Say, “We hear, we obey, and we submit.”’ So Allah cast faith into their hearts and revealed, ‘Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity… Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err’ [Qur’an 2:286]. Allah said: ‘I have done so.’

‘Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us.’ He said: ‘I have done so.’

‘Our Lord, do not impose upon us what we have no strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people.’ He said: ‘I have done so.’”

The Exalted also said, ‘You will not be taken to task for what you do by mistake, but only for what your hearts premeditate’ [Qur’an 33:5].

[The Reward of the Mujtahid]

Authentically reported in both Ṣaḥīḥs, from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—through Abū Hurayrah and ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ, may Allah be pleased with them, is his statement: “When a judge exercises ijtihād and is correct, he receives two rewards; if he errs, he still receives one reward.”

Thus the mujtahid who makes a mistake is not deemed sinful; rather, he is granted a reward.