Surah Hud Tafseer

قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ

He (Allah) said:"O Nuh! Surely, he is not of your family..."

This means, "He (your son) is not of those whom I promised to save. I only promised you that I would save those of your family who believe."

For this reason Allah said,

وَأَهْلَكَ إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ

and your family except him against whom the Word has already gone forth. (11:40)

إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ

verily, his work is unrighteous,

فَلَ تَسْأَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ

إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ

so ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you, lest you should be one of the ignorant."

Thus, for his son, it had already been decreed that he would be drowned due to his disbelief and his opposition to his father, the Prophet of Allah, Nuh peace be upon him.

Concerning Allah's statement,

إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ

(Surely, he is not of your family),

meaning that he (Nuh's son) was not among those whom Allah promised to save.

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ibn Abbas said,

"He was the son of Nuh, but he opposed him in deeds and intention."

Ikrimah said in some of the modes of recitation it said here,

إِنَّهُ عَمَلَ عَمَلً

غَيْرَ صَالِحٍ

"Verily, he (Nuh's son) worked deeds that were not righteous."

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ

وَإِلاَّ تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُن مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ