Or chooseth He daughters of all that He hath created, and honoureth He you with sons? 16 And if one of them is given the glad tidings of what he professes regarding the Most Gracious, his face blackens and he is mournful! 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 ("Ah!") they say, "If it had been the will of (Allah) Most Gracious, we should not have worshipped such (deities)!" Of that they have no knowledge! they do nothing but lie! 20 Or have We given them a Book before this which they hold fast to? 21 Nay! they say: We found our fathers on a course, and surely we are guided by their footsteps. 22 And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following." 23 ۞ (The warner) said: What! even if I bring to you a better guide than that on which you found your fathers? They said: Surely we are unbelievers in that with which you are sent. 24 And so We inflicted Our retribution on them: and behold what happened in the end to those who gave the lie to the truth! 25