Tafsir of Ya seen 36:20

He is Habib ibn Isra'il the carpenter. He used to carve idols, yet he was among those who believed in the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), despite there being six hundred years between them—just as Tubba' the Elder, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, and others believed in him, for no one from any nation believed in him until after his appearance.

It is said: He was in a cave worshipping Allah. When the news of the messengers reached him, he came to them, declared his faith, and debated the disbelievers. They said, "Do you oppose our religion?" They leapt upon him and killed him. It is said: They trampled him with their feet until his intestines came out from his rear. It is said: They stoned him while he was saying, "O Allah, guide my people." His grave is in the market of Antioch. When he was killed, Allah became angry with them, and they were destroyed by the cry of Gabriel (peace be upon him).

From the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "The foremost of the nations are three; they did not disbelieve in Allah for the blinking of an eye: Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Companion of Ya-Sin, and the Believer of the family of Pharaoh."

This is a comprehensive statement of encouragement regarding them. It means: You lose nothing of your worldly affairs with them, and you gain the soundness of your religion; thus, the good of this world and the Hereafter are combined for you.

Then, he presented his speech in the form of advising himself, while intending to advise them, in order to be gentle and conciliatory with them. It is more effective in sincere advice, as he desires for them nothing but what he desires for his own soul. He placed his saying, {And why should I not worship He who created me?} in place of saying, "And why do you not worship He who created you?" Do you not see his saying, {And to Him you will be returned}? Had he not intended that, he would have said, "He who created me, and to Him I will return."

He continued in this manner until he said, {...of your Lord, so listen to me}. He means: Listen to my words and obey me, for I have alerted you to the truth from which there is no deviation: that worship is not valid except for the One from whom is your beginning and to whom is your return. How foolish and repulsive to the intellects that you should prefer over His worship the worship of things that, if He intended harm for you, their intercession would not avail you, nor would they be able to be intercessors before Him, nor would they be able to save you from Him in any way. You, in this preference, have fallen into a manifest, clear error that is not hidden from anyone with intellect and discernment.

It is said: When he advised his people, they began to stone him, so he hurried toward the messengers before he was killed and said to them, {Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me}, meaning: Listen to my faith so that you may bear witness to it for me.

It is recited: {If the Most Merciful intends me any harm}—meaning: if He brings harm upon me, i.e., makes me a recipient of harm.