For this reason, Allah has never praised anyone in the Quran merely on account of lineage: neither the child of a prophet nor the father of a prophet. Rather, He praises people for their faith and deeds. Whenever He mentions a group and praises them, it is for their faith and deeds, not merely their lineage.
When He mentioned the prophets—eighteen of them—in Surah al-Anʿām, He said:
“And some of their fathers, descendants, and brothers. We chose them and guided them to a straight path.” [Surah al-Anʿām: 87]
Their distinction thus came from His choosing them—glorified and exalted is He—and guiding them to a straight path, not from kinship itself.
Lineage may entail rights; rights may be prescribed on its account, and rulings concerning obligation, prohibition, and permissibility may be attached to it. Reward and punishment, however, and promises of reward and threats of punishment, depend on deeds, not lineage.
When Allah Most High said:
“Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ʿImrān above all peoples.” [Surah Āl ʿImrān: 33]
And when He said:
“Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? We have already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom, and We gave them a great kingdom.” [Surah al-Nisāʾ: 54]
This was praise of this noble stock because of their faith and righteous deeds. Those among them who did not possess these qualities were not included in that praise (1), as in His words, Most High:
“We certainly sent Noah and Abraham, and placed prophethood and Scripture among their descendants. Some of them are rightly guided, but many of them are defiantly disobedient.” [Surah al-Hadīd: 26]
And Allah Most High said:
“We blessed him and Isaac. Among their descendants are those who do good and those who clearly wrong themselves.” [Surah al-Sāffāt: 113]