Can the sins of one person affect his entire family, and does God punish children for the sins of their parents?

A person is not held accountable for another's sin, for "Every soul, for what it has earned, is a pledge." However, a father's or mother's commission of a sin can be a means for their children to emulate them. Furthermore, the ill effects of a disobedience may extend from the disobedient person to their family, becoming a punishment for them and a trial for their family, by which Allah expiates their sins, or He may test them with blessings. Allah the Almighty said: "And We test you with evil and with good as a trial." A Muslim must avoid sins to evade Allah's wrath and anger.