What! has He taken daughters out of what He himself creates, and granted to you sons for choice? 16 And when one of them is given good tidings of that which he attributes to the Most Merciful in comparison, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief. 17 Is then one brought up among trinkets, and unable to give a clear account in a dispute (to be associated with Allah)? 18 Do they say that the angels, who are the servants of the Beneficent God, are females? Have they witnessed their creation? Their words as such will be recorded and they will be questioned for it. 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 did We bring them a Book aforetime to which they hold? 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 ۞ Each messenger said, "What if I should bring you better guidance than what you found your forefathers had?" They replied, "We reject any message you have been sent with!" 24 So we took retribution from them; then see how was the end of the deniers. 25