Or has He taken, out of what He has created, daughters and chosen you for [having] sons? 16 Yet when news of (a daughter) they had reserved for Ar-Rahman comes to one of them, his face is blackened (with shame), and he grieves in silence inwardly. 17 And (do they chose for Him) one who is brought up among ornaments, and cannot express herself clearly in debate? 18 And they appoint the angels, who are the bondmen of the Most Gracious, as females; were they present at the time of the angels’ creation? Their declaration will be now recorded and they will be questioned. 19 Yet they say: "Had [not] the Most Gracious so willed, we would never have worshipped them!" [But] they cannot have any knowledge of [His having willed] such a thing: they do nothing but guess. 20 What! have We given them a Book before this, to which they are holding fast? 21 Nay! they say: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we do guide ourselves by their footsteps." 22 And thus it is: whenever We sent, before thy time, a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures would always say: "Behold, we found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and verily, it is but in their footsteps that we follow!" 23 ۞ [Whereupon each prophet] would say: "Why, even though I bring you guidance better than that which you found your forefathers believing in?" - [to which] the others would reply, "Behold, we deny that there is any truth in [what you claim to be] your messages!" 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