As Allah mentions in another Ayah:

[فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنُّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ ]

(Then he invoked his Lord (saying): "I have been overcome, so help (me)!'') [54:10]. Here he says:

[رَبِّ انصُرْنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ]

(O my Lord! Help me because they deny me.) At that point, Allah commanded him to build a boat and to make it strong and firm, and to carry therein of every kind two, i.e., a male and a female of every species of animals, plants and fruits etc. He was also to carry his family,

[إِلاَّ مَن سَبَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْقَوْلُ مِنْهُمْ]

(except those thereof against whom the Word has already gone forth.) meaning, those whom Allah had already decreed were to be destroyed. These were the members of his family who did not believe in him, such as his son and his wife. And Allah knows best.

[وَلاَ تُخَـطِبْنِى فِى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِنَّهُمْ مُّغْرَقُونَ]

(And address Me not in favor of those who have done wrong. Verily, they are to be drowned.) means, `when you witness the heavy rain falling, do not let yourself be overcome with compassion and pity for your people, or hope for more time for them so that they may believe, for I have decreed that they will be drowned and will die in their state of disbelief and wrongdoing.' The story has already been told in detail in Surah Hud, and there is no need to repeat it here.

[فَإِذَا اسْتَوَيْتَ أَنتَ وَمَن مَّعَكَ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ فَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ الَّذِى نَجَّانَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ ]

(And when you have embarked on the ship, you and whoever is with you, then say: `All the praise be to Allah, Who has saved us from the people who are wrongdoers.') This is like the Ayah:

[وَالَّذِى خَلَقَ الأَزْوَجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالاٌّنْعَـمِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ - لِتَسْتَوُواْ عَلَى ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُواْ سُبْحَـنَ الَّذِى سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَـذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ - وَإِنَّآ إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ ]

(and has appointed for you ships and cattle on which you ride: In order that you may mount on their backs, and then may remember the favor of your Lord when you mount thereon, and say: "Glory to Him Who has subjected this to us, and we could never have it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!'') [43:12-14] So, certainly, Nuh adhered to what he was commanded, as Allah says elsewhere:

[وَقَالَ ارْكَبُواْ فِيهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا]

(And he said: "Embark therein: in the Name of Allah will be its (moving) course and its (resting) anchorage...'')[11:41] So Nuh mentioned Allah at the beginning of his journey and at the end, and Allah said:

[وَقُل رَّبِّ أَنزِلْنِى مُنزَلاً مُّبَارَكاً وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنزِلِينَ ]

(And say: `My Lord! Cause me to land at a blessed landing place, for You are the Best of those who bring to land.'')

[إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لأيَـتٍ]

(Verily in this, there are indeed Ayat,) means in this event, which is the saving of the believers and the destruction of the disbelievers there are signs, i.e., clear evidence and proof that the Prophets speak the truth in the Message they bring from Allah, may He be exalted, and that Allah does what He wills, and He is able to do all things and knows all things.

[وَإِن كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ]

(for sure We are ever putting (men) to the test.) means, `We try Our servants by means of sending the Messengers.'

[ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْناً ءَاخَرِينَ - فَأَرْسَلْنَا فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِّنْ إِلَـهٍ غَيْرُهُ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ - وَقَالَ الْمَلأ مِن قَوْمِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِلِقَآءِ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَأَتْرَفْنَـهُمْ فِى الْحَيـوةِ الدُّنْيَا مَا هَـذَا إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يَأْكُلُ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ مِنْهُ وَيَشْرَبُ مِمَّا تَشْرَبُونَ - وَلَئِنْ أَطَعْتُمْ بَشَراً مِّثْلَكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً لَّخَـسِرُونَ - أَيَعِدُكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ إِذَا مِتٌّمْ وَكُنتُمْ تُرَاباً وَعِظـماً أَنَّكُمْ مُّخْرَجُونَ - هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ لِمَا تُوعَدُونَ - إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ - إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ افتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً وَمَا نَحْنُ لَهُ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ رَبِّ انصُرْنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ قَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ لَّيُصْبِحُنَّ نَـدِمِينَ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ بِالْحَقِّ فَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ غُثَآءً فَبُعْداً لِّلْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ ]

(31. Then, after them, We created another generation.) (32. And We sent to them a Messenger from among themselves (saying): "Worship Allah! You have no other God but Him. Will you not then have Taqwa'') (33. And the chiefs of his people who disbelieved and denied the meeting in the Hereafter, and whom We had given the luxuries and comforts of worldly life, said: "He is no more than a human being like you, he eats of that which you eat, and drinks of what you drink.'') (34. "If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, then verily, you indeed would be losers.'') (35. "Does he promise you that when you have died and have become dust and bones, you shall come out alive'') (36. "Far, very far is that which you are promised!'') (37. "There is nothing but our life of this world! We die and we live! And we are not going to be resurrected!'') (38. "He is only a man who has invented a lie against Allah, and we are not going to believe in him.'') (39. He said: "O my Lord! Help me because they deny me.'') (40. (Allah) said: "In a little while, they are sure to be regretful.'') (41. So, the Sayhah overtook them in truth, and We made them as rubbish of dead plants. So, away with the people who are wrongdoers.)