Tafsir of Al-Haqqah 69:20

{Indeed, I knew that I would encounter my account}—meaning, I was certain of that, as stated by the majority. This is based on the fact that the apparent state of the believer is one of certainty regarding the matters of the Hereafter, such as the Reckoning; therefore, what is conveyed from him should reflect that. However, because theoretical matters, in their particulars, are not devoid of some hesitation—in some aspects, such as the ease or severity of the reckoning, which do not negate the certainty of the Reckoning itself—knowledge was expressed as "zann" (conjecture/thought) metaphorically to indicate this.

It has been said that because the belief in the matters of the Hereafter is generally not free from the whispers and passing thoughts of the soul—like all other theoretical sciences—it was treated as the status of conjecture, and thus expressed as such for that reason. In this is an indication that such (hesitation) does not impair faith.

It is also permitted that the word "zann" is used in its literal sense, meaning that what is intended by "my account" is the easy reckoning that he received. For that is something he had no prior certainty of; he only conjectured and considered it likely due to his deep trust in the mercy of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic. Perhaps this occurred at the time of death, as the reports have indicated that what befits the state of the believer at that time is the dominance of hope and good opinion (of Allah). Before that, however, it is the equilibrium of hope and fear.

Based on this, it becomes very clear why this sentence is positioned as a justification for the good state implied by the first sentence. It is as if it were said: "I am in a state of goodness, or I am happy and joyful because I expected of my Lord, the Exalted, that He would settle my account easily, and He has indeed done so." For Allah, the Exalted, is as His servant expects Him to be.

This interpretation is better than the claim that it might mean: "I expected that I would encounter my account with severity and scrutiny due to the lapses that preceded me, and now Allah, the Exalted, has removed that from me and relieved my distress."

It has also been said that "zann" is applied to knowledge literally, which is the apparent view of Al-Radi regarding the verbs of the heart, though this is subject to scrutiny.