Has Allah taken for Himself daughters out of those whom He creates and has chosen you to have sons? 16 Yet when one of them is given glad news of (a daughter) that which he likened to the Merciful his face darkens and he chokes inwardly (with gloom). 17 So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident [attributed to Allah]? 18 They claim that the angels, who are themselves the worshipers of the Merciful, are females. Did they witness their creation! Their witness shall be written down and they shall be questioned. 19 And they say: If the Beneficent One had (so) willed, we should not have worshipped them. They have no knowledge whatsoever of that. They do but guess. 20 Or have We given them any scripture before (this Qur'an) so that they are holding fast thereto? 21 In fact, they say, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we now follow in their footsteps for our guidance". 22 Just in the same way, whenever We sent a Warner before thee to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps." 23 ۞ He said: "What! Even if I brought you better guidance than that which ye found your fathers following?" They said: "For us, we deny that ye (prophets) are sent (on a mission at all)." 24 So We took vengeance upon them; and behold how was the end of them that cried lies. 25