سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 46
قَالَ يَـٰنُوحُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَـٰلِحٍ ۖ فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَعِظُكَ أَن تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ ﴿46﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He said: "O Nûh (Noah)! 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."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
يَـٰنُوحُ
yānūḥu
O Nuh
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, he
لَيْسَ
laysa
(is) not
مِنْ
min
of
أَهْلِكَ ۖ
ahlika
your family
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
indeed, [he]
عَمَلٌ
ʿamalun
(his) deed
غَيْرُ
ghayru
(is) other than
صَـٰلِحٍۢ ۖ
ṣāliḥin
righteous
فَلَا
falā
so (do) not
تَسْـَٔلْنِ
tasalni
ask Me
مَا
mā
(about) what
لَيْسَ
laysa
not
لَكَ
laka
you have
بِهِۦ
bihi
of it
عِلْمٌ ۖ
ʿil'mun
any knowledge
إِنِّىٓ
innī
Indeed, I
أَعِظُكَ
aʿiẓuka
admonish you
أَن
an
lest
تَكُونَ
takūna
you be
مِنَ
mina
among
ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ
l-jāhilīna
the ignorant
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 46) ➊ { قَالَ يٰنُوْحُ اِنَّهٗ لَيْسَ مِنْ اَهْلِكَ:} He said, O Nuh! He is not of your family, rather, under {’’ اِلَّا مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ ‘‘}, due to disbelief, he has been deprived of the honor of being your family and has become included among those for whom the decision of drowning had already been made.
➋ {اِنَّهٗ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ :} Generally, it is translated as “his deeds are not good.” This meaning can be correct if { ’’ عَمَلٌ ‘‘} is considered as a verbal noun used for emphasis in the sense of an active participle ({عَامِلٌ}), just as { ’’ زَيْدٌ عَدْلٌ ‘‘} is taken in the sense of {’’ زَيْدٌ عَادِلٌ ‘‘}, meaning he is a doer of unrighteous deeds. But according to the Imam of the commentators, Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him), the pronoun in { ’’ اِنَّهٗ ‘‘} refers to the supplication of Nuh (peace be upon him), that the intercession you made for your polytheist son, this act is not good.
➌ { فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ :} Here a question arises that a question is only about something that is unknown; for something that is known, there is no need to ask. There are two answers to this: in fact, in Arabic, the word for question also comes in the meaning of requesting and inquiring. So the first answer is that only that thing should be requested about which it is well known that the one from whom it is being requested will not be displeased by the request. If it is not known, and there is even a risk of displeasure, then it should never be requested. Now, the statements of Allah were present before Nuh (peace be upon him): «{ وَ لَا تُخَاطِبْنِيْ فِي الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوْا }» and «{ وَ اَهْلَكَ اِلَّا مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ }», yet he could not realize how displeased Allah would be at this request. The second answer is that Allah had already answered the request of Nuh (peace be upon him) by saying {’’ اِنَّهٗ لَيْسَ مِنْ اَهْلِكَ ‘‘}, and after this, it was possible that Nuh (peace be upon him) would ask about why his son was not saved and remained firm on disbelief, and what wisdom was in this. So Allah prevented him beforehand, saying that your knowledge cannot reach My wisdoms, so do not ask Me about such matters. (Al-Wasit by Tantawi) That is, only that should be asked about which it is known that the one being asked will not be displeased by the question. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “A person only asks about what is unknown, but the will (of the one being asked) should be known. It is the act of an ignorant person to ask without considering the will of the other.” (Mowdih)
➍ { اِنِّيْۤ اَعِظُكَ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ مِنَ الْجٰهِلِيْنَ:} The meaning is that after knowing this reality, if you ask such a question, you will be counted among the ignorant. (Ruh al-Ma‘ani)
➋ {اِنَّهٗ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍ :} Generally, it is translated as “his deeds are not good.” This meaning can be correct if { ’’ عَمَلٌ ‘‘} is considered as a verbal noun used for emphasis in the sense of an active participle ({عَامِلٌ}), just as { ’’ زَيْدٌ عَدْلٌ ‘‘} is taken in the sense of {’’ زَيْدٌ عَادِلٌ ‘‘}, meaning he is a doer of unrighteous deeds. But according to the Imam of the commentators, Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him), the pronoun in { ’’ اِنَّهٗ ‘‘} refers to the supplication of Nuh (peace be upon him), that the intercession you made for your polytheist son, this act is not good.
➌ { فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ :} Here a question arises that a question is only about something that is unknown; for something that is known, there is no need to ask. There are two answers to this: in fact, in Arabic, the word for question also comes in the meaning of requesting and inquiring. So the first answer is that only that thing should be requested about which it is well known that the one from whom it is being requested will not be displeased by the request. If it is not known, and there is even a risk of displeasure, then it should never be requested. Now, the statements of Allah were present before Nuh (peace be upon him): «{ وَ لَا تُخَاطِبْنِيْ فِي الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوْا }» and «{ وَ اَهْلَكَ اِلَّا مَنْ سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ }», yet he could not realize how displeased Allah would be at this request. The second answer is that Allah had already answered the request of Nuh (peace be upon him) by saying {’’ اِنَّهٗ لَيْسَ مِنْ اَهْلِكَ ‘‘}, and after this, it was possible that Nuh (peace be upon him) would ask about why his son was not saved and remained firm on disbelief, and what wisdom was in this. So Allah prevented him beforehand, saying that your knowledge cannot reach My wisdoms, so do not ask Me about such matters. (Al-Wasit by Tantawi) That is, only that should be asked about which it is known that the one being asked will not be displeased by the question. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “A person only asks about what is unknown, but the will (of the one being asked) should be known. It is the act of an ignorant person to ask without considering the will of the other.” (Mowdih)
➍ { اِنِّيْۤ اَعِظُكَ اَنْ تَكُوْنَ مِنَ الْجٰهِلِيْنَ:} The meaning is that after knowing this reality, if you ask such a question, you will be counted among the ignorant. (Ruh al-Ma‘ani)
