The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 140
CH. 11 HŪD PT. 12 Thou art the Most Just of judges. '1426 47. He said: 'O Noah, he isZIERJE surely not of thy family; he is أَحْكَمُ الْحَكِمِينَ عَمَل غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ فَلَا تَلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ indeed a man of unrighteous لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنِّي أَعِظُكَ اَنْ تَكُونَ conduct. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge. I advise thee lest thou become one of the ignorant. '1427 1426. Commentary: This verse beautifully illustrates how the Prophets maintain a highly respectful attitude to God even under very hard trials. Noah had, by an error of judgement, thought that all the members of his family would be saved from the flood, but when he saw that his son was going to be drowned, he made his supplication to God in a most respectful way, appealing to Him in the name of His promise about the safety of his family. He was, however, careful to add that if his son was drowned, he would not think that God's promise was false but that he himself had misunderstood the Divine Words, for God's promise was ever true and His judgement always just. 1427. Important Words: مِنَ الْجَهِلِينَ when an intensified sense is intended (Lane & Muḥit). Commentary: In a brief sentence, viz. he is surely not of thy family, God disclosed a great truth to Noah. What He meant was that when He promised to save his family, He did not mean all members of the family, but only such of them as were righteous and believed in him, because, truly speaking, only those persons were members of his family who had established a true relationship with God through him. انه عمل غير صالح The Quranic words rendered here as, he is indeed a man of unrighteous conduct, are capable of two interpretations. First, they may refer to the prayer of Noah. In that case, the clause would mean that this Lac (man of conduct) generally act of his, i. e. his prayer for his son, signifies work, deed or action; a wasi. e. out of place, the word motion of the whole or of a portion of meaning "suitable, meet or the body or even of the mind; the utterance of a saying. The word (lit. deed) may also mean a i. e. the doer of a deed, which construction is permissible in the Arabic language 1348 proper. " By using these words with regard to Noah's prayer, God meant to point out that as He had already pronounced His judgement and the hour of punishment had actually