What! has He taken daughters to Himself of what He Himself creates and chosen you to have sons? 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 What! that which is made in ornaments and which in contention is unable to make plain speech! 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 They say: 'Had it been the will of the Merciful, we would never have worshipped them' Of this they have no knowledge, they are but guessing. 20 Have We vouchsafed unto them any Book before this, so that they are to it holding fast? 21 Nay, but they say, 'We found our fathers upon a community, and we are guided upon their traces.' 22 In the same way, whenever We had sent a Messenger before you to warn a town, the rich ones therein said, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we follow in their footsteps. 23 ۞ Say: 'What, though I should bring you a better guidance than you found your fathers upon?' They say, 'We disbelieve in that you were sent with.' 24 So We exacted retribution from them: now see what was the end of those who rejected (Truth)! 25