“He said, ‘O Noah, he is certainly not of your family; indeed, his conduct was unrighteous. So do not ask Me about that of which you have no knowledge. I admonish you, lest you be among the ignorant.’” (46)

Regarding the saying of the Most High: “And Noah called out to his Lord, saying, ‘My Lord, indeed my son is of my family’”—and You had promised me that You would save me and my family—“and surely Your promise is true,” in which there is no breach, “and You are the Most Just of judges”: You have decreed salvation for one people and destruction for another.

“Allah said: ‘O Noah, he is certainly not of your family; indeed, his conduct was unrighteous.’” Al-Kisa’i and Ya‘qub recited ‘amila (“he did”)—with the mim in the genitive vowel and the lam in the accusative vowel—and ghayra (“other than”) in the accusative, as a verb; that is, he committed polytheism and denial. The others recited it with the mim in the accusative vowel, the lam in the nominative vowel with tanwin, and ghayru (“other than”) in the nominative. Its meaning is: your asking Me to save him is an unrighteous deed. “So do not ask Me, O Noah, about that of which you have no knowledge.”

The reciters of the Hijaz and al-Sham read fa-la tas’alanni (1), with the lam in the accusative vowel and a doubled nun. They give the nun the genitive vowel, except Ibn Kathir, who gives it the accusative vowel. The others recited it with the lam in the jussive and a light nun bearing the genitive vowel. Abu Ja‘far, Abu ‘Amr, Warsh, and Ya‘qub retain the final ya’ in connected recitation.

“Indeed, I admonish you lest you be among the ignorant.”