Quran Universe
11:46

قَالَ يَٰنُوحُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيۡسَ مِنۡ أَهۡلِكَۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَمَلٌ غَيۡرُ صَٰلِحٖۖ فَلَا تَسۡـَٔلۡنِ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌۖ إِنِّيٓ أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِينَ

Qala ya noohu innahu laysa min ahlika innahu AAamalun ghayru salihin fala tasalni ma laysa laka bihi AAilmun innee aAAithuka an takoona mina aljahileena

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."

Word by word
  1. قَالَHe said
  2. يَٰنُوحُO Nuh
  3. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,he
  4. لَيۡسَ(is) not
  5. مِنۡof
  6. أَهۡلِكَۖyour family
  7. إِنَّهُۥindeed,[he]
  8. عَمَلٌ(his) deed
  9. غَيۡرُ(is) other than
  10. صَٰلِحٖۖrighteous
  11. فَلَاso (do) not
  12. تَسۡـَٔلۡنِask Me
  13. مَا(about) what
  14. لَيۡسَnot
  15. لَكَyou have
  16. بِهِۦof it
  17. عِلۡمٌۖany knowledge
  18. إِنِّيٓIndeed,I
  19. أَعِظُكَadmonish you
  20. أَنlest
  21. تَكُونَyou be
  22. مِنَamong
  23. ٱلۡجَٰهِلِينَthe ignorant
Hud · 11:46Makkah

He is not of your family, his deeds were not good.

Faith, not blood, makes the family Allah saves

Allah's answer
your sonby birth
but
unrighteous deedsopposed his father
so
not of your familynot among the promised
Who the promise covered
everyone relatedblood is enough
family who believethe promise was this

Allah answered that the son was not among the family He promised to save. The promise was for those of his family who believed. Ibn Abbas said he was truly Nuh's son but opposed him in deeds and intention. Nuh was told not to ask for what he had no knowledge of.

You assume that because your parents were pious, or your family is known at the masjid, you are covered. No one inherits faith. Your own deeds are what place you in the family Allah saves.

Coming from a good family keeps me safe.

Belonging to the believers is about my own deeds, not my family name.

Try this

Pick one good habit you have relied on your family for, like dua or Quran, and do it yourself today.

Related11:40
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 11:45)

And Nuh called upon his Lord and said, "O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! And certainly, Your promise is true, and You are the Most Just of the judges. (45)He said: "O Nuh! Surely, he is not of your family; verily, his work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you, lest you should be one of the ignorant. (46)Nuh said: "O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers. (47)

A Return to the Story of the Son of Nuh and mentioning what transpired between Nuh and Allah concerning him

This was a request for information and an inquiry from Nuh concerning the cirumstances of his son's drowning.

فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي

(and said, "O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family!") This means, "Verily, You promised to save my family and Your promise is the truth that does not fail. Therefore, how can he (my son) be drowned and You are the Most Just of the judges?"

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 إِلَّا مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ

(and your family except him against whom the Word has already gone forth.)[11:40] 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 عَمِلَ عَمَلًا غَيْرَ صَالِحٍ)

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