KANAAN, the son of Noah disobeyed his father and took no admonition from the warnings. He adhered to his evil friends and left
his father's teachings behind. True that he was connected to the prophet through a blood relation, but he had made firm spiritual and moral ties with disbelievers and evil-doers and so he lost all the privileges of being the son of a prophet. He had plunged in sin, and so deep that his father failed to intercede with God on his behalf!
It is narrated that Kanaan played a double role in his acts, like all the hypocrites. He apparently belonged to the prophetic house and the believers, but privately he befriended the unbelievers and evil doers. So Noah was not sure enough that his son was with the faithless mischief makers of the town. Had he known that, he would have driven him away.
On the other hand, Noah was a kind-hearted man with all the emotions and sentiments of a Man father such as, fear, love, anger, joy, with such feelings under his control. When he saw his son was drowned, he was naturally grieved like any other loving father, and questioned his Lord in his tender prayer. But when it was inspired to him that his son was a wrong doing unbeliever, he knew that there could be no compromise with evil, and therefore he repented and begged God to pardon him.