He said;"Would that my people knew that my Lord has forgiven me, and made me of the honored ones!"
He wished that his people could know about what he was seeing with his own eyes of the honor of Allah."
Ibn Abbas said,
"He was sincere towards his people during his lifetime by saying,
يَا قَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ
(O my people! Obey the Messengers), and after his death by saying;
قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ
بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ
(Would that my people knew that my Lord (Allah) has forgiven me, and made me of the honored ones!)
This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim.
Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated from `Asim Al-Ahwal from Abu Mijlaz;
بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ
(That my Lord has forgiven me, and made me of the honored ones!)
"Because of my faith in my Lord and my belief in the Messengers."
He meant that if they could see the great reward and everlasting blessings that he had attained, this would lead them to follow the Messengers.
May Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him, for he was so keen that his people should be guided.
Then Allah tells;
وَمَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ جُندٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَمَا كُنَّا مُنزِلِينَ