قَالَ يَـٰنُوحُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَـٰلِحٍ ۖ فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ 46
Translations
He said, "O Noah, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was other than righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge. Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant."
Transliteration
Qala ya Nuh innahu laysa min ahlika innahu amalun ghayru salih fala tas'alni ma laysa laka bihi ilm inni a'izuka an takuna mina al-jahilin
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah addresses Prophet Nuh (Noah) regarding his son who refused to board the Ark, clarifying that despite being his biological son, the son's disbelief and righteous deeds make him spiritually disconnected from Nuh's family of believers. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this verse establishes the principle that family ties based on disbelief (kufr) and evil deeds do not create spiritual kinship before Allah. The verse concludes with a divine warning against asking Allah for things beyond one's knowledge, and an admonition against ignorance—teaching Nuh that he should not question Allah's judgment in drowning his disbelieving son.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in the narrative of Prophet Nuh's final moments before the Flood, when his son refuses to board the Ark despite the explicit command. The broader context of Surah Hud (a Meccan surah) emphasizes divine justice and the separation of believers from disbelievers. This specific verse was revealed to console Nuh and establish clarity about the criteria for true family bonds in the sight of Allah.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurairah regarding the Prophet's statement about family ties (silat al-rahim) relates thematically. Additionally, hadiths about the Day of Judgment in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim describe how family bonds will not benefit those who rejected Allah, reinforcing this ayah's message.
Themes
Key Lesson
True family bonds are established through shared faith and righteous deeds, not merely by blood relations; the believer must accept Allah's decisions with humility and trust His wisdom, even when it involves personal loss. This teaches modern readers that spiritual alignment with truth is more fundamental than worldly kinship, and that questioning Allah's divine judgment stems from ignorance.