بِما غَفَرَ لي رَبّي وَجَعَلَني مِنَ المُكرَمينَ

For what my Lord forgave me and made me one of the honoured ones!’

EXEGESIS

Mukramīn (the honoured ones) is derived from the root verb karuma, meaning he became highly esteemed, prized, valued, excellent, precious, valuable, or rare. It also indicates that he became eminent in generous or honourable actions, practices, qualities, or dispositions.^{‎[1]Lane, p. 3000.}

EXPOSITION

When the soul of Ḥabīb passed into paradise instantly after his martyrdom, he saw God’s glory in His forgiveness, honour, and marvellous rewards. He immediately wished that his people were aware of such glory so that they may have desired it also by believing in monotheism. As mentioned previously, the instantaneous nature of such glory after his martyrdom indicates the post-death and pre-resurrection life of barzakh, because he said his wish while his people were living, and they were unaware of what he had gone through after his martyrdom.

Tabatabai connects the sequence of the events in this story as if they were responses to a sequence of questions in the style of ‘what happened next?’; hence, after every verse, he poses a hypothetical question to seek an answer which is found in the next verse. So, if someone would ask: ‘What happened after the believer expressed his belief and support to the messenger?’ The answer would be: ‘He was martyred.’ ‘And then what?’ ‘He entered paradise.’ ‘And then what?’ ‘He saw the honour and forgiveness and wished the same for his people.’ In this verse, he advised his people after death as he advised them in his life.

Many can receive honour from God; however, the title of the honoured ones (mukramīn) indicates God’s continuous and unlimited honour is only given to two types of creations: the angels and those who have reached the level of perfection in faith. The honourable angels are described as, They say: ‘The All-Beneficent has taken offspring.’ Immaculate is He! Rather they are [His] honoured servants, they do not venture to speak ahead of Him, and they act by His command (21:26-27), and the exclusive, perfect, and sincere believers will be in gardens, held in honour (70:35). Therefore, the Quran has specifically mentioned only Ḥabīb, the believer of Yā Sīn, as an individual who received the description of being among the honoured ones.^{‎[2]Mizan, 17/79.}

An interesting point of spiritual reformation is indicated by his words, which go through two stages: cleansing and beautification. His mentioning forgiveness, which is the stage of cleansing from sins, was done before his mentioning of being from the honoured ones, which is the stage of beautification by earning the proximity of God.^{‎[3]Amthal, 14/161.}

The Quran does not mention what happened to the three messengers after Ḥabīb was martyred. A group of exegetes mentioned that these three messengers were also martyred. Some of them clearly said that the believer was trying to distract their attention towards him and his martyrdom so that the messengers could escape the evil conspiracies of his people. However, the wrath of God upon these wicked people indicates that the messengers were also martyred after the believer, but the phrase After him in the next verse (After him We did not send down on his people a host from the sky, nor We would have sent down) indicates that the wicked people were destroyed immediately after the martyrdom of the believer, thus, the messengers may have been saved.^{‎[4]Amthal, 14/161.}

The story of Ḥabīb appears to be a clear example and manifestation of verse 11 of this surah: You can only warn someone who follows the reminder and fears the All-Beneficent in secret; so give him the good news of forgiveness and a noble reward. It is as if God is passing his message from barzakh to the people living in this world to give wrongdoers hope of forgiveness, and the righteous the good news of honourable reward.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. The Holy Prophet said about the believer of Yā Sīn: ‘Verily, he advised them during his life and after his death.’^{‎[5]Amthal, 14/161.} Similarly, Ibn Abbas said: ‘He advised his people in his life and after he died.’^{‎[6]Qurtubi, 15/17-20.}
2. Imam Ali (a) said: ‘Some people are devoted to remembering God; they took it in substitute of worldly matters; thus, neither commerce nor trade preoccupies them from doing it … They speak into the ears of neglectful people warnings against what God has forbidden; they order them to practice justice and take it upon themselves to practice it. They forbid others from unlawfulness and also refrain themselves. It is as if they have left this world towards the next world, yet they live seeing what is beyond it, as if they had lived in that world for a long time and saw the unseen people of barzakh until they saw the resurrection and whatever happens there, then revealed all that to the people of this world. It was as if they saw what the people could not see and heard what the people could not hear. If you picture them in your mind, their praiseworthy positions and their well-known gatherings … you would find them emblems of guidance and lamps in darkness. Angels would be surrounding them, tranquillity would be descending upon them, the doors of the heavens would be opening for them, and positions of honour would be assigned to them in the place about which God had informed them … Therefore, do your reckoning for yourself because indeed, others have their reckoner other than you.’^{‎[7]Nahj, sermon 221.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ḥabīb had compassion for his people even when they were killing him; he was praying for them and never cursed them or was angry at them. After his soul left this world and saw paradise, he wished the same for them instead of praying against them. Ṭabarī mentions that when they were stoning him to death, he was praying: ‘O God, guide my people, O God, guide my people, O God, guide my people,’ until they cut him while he was praying.^{‎[8]Tabari.}

There are several other opinions about his martyrdom; the one presented by Ibn Masʿūd indicates that his people trampled over him with their feet and buried him in a well. Further opinions mention that they buried him alive, burned him to ashes, and hung him on the wall of the city. It is also said that his body was cut into pieces with a saw. Qurṭubī quotes the narration mentioned previously about him being one of the three who were ahead of every nation in their faith. They never disbelieved in God, even for a blink of an eye, and they were: Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib (a) being the best of the three, the believer of the family of Pharoah, and the companion of Yā Sīn.^{‎[9]Qurtubi, 15/17-20.}

The significant points of awareness that can be learned from the believer from this verse are the necessity of holding the temper, observing patience in dealing with the disbelievers, and being passionate about those who do not know; in addition, desiring salvation for stubborn opponents, offering them guidance, ignoring the pain and torture they cause, pardoning them, forgiving their slips and errors, praying for them even if they were his killers, and asking God to show mercy to all those who hurt him.^{‎[10]Sadra, 5/64.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. The Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained.’^{‎[11]1 Samuel 2:30.}
2. Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honour.^{‎[12]Proverbs 21:21.}
3. Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching.^{‎[13]1 Timothy 5:17.}
4. One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honour.^{‎[14]Proverbs 29:23.}

[1] Lane, p. 3000.
[2] Mizan, 17/79.
[3] Amthal, 14/161.
[4] Amthal, 14/161.
[5] Amthal, 14/161.
[6] Qurtubi, 15/17-20.
[7] Nahj, sermon 221.
[8] Tabari.
[9] Qurtubi, 15/17-20.
[10] Sadra, 5/64.
[11] 1 Samuel 2:30.
[12] Proverbs 21:21.
[13] 1 Timothy 5:17.
[14] Proverbs 29:23.