Or, has He taken daughters from those He has created for Himself and favored sons for you? 16 When news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) what he sets up as a likeness to (Allah) Most Gracious, his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! 17 (As such they attribute to Allah) who is brought up among ornaments but when disputes arise are powerless. 18 And they have made the angels, who are themselves servants of the All-merciful, females. What, did they witness their creation? Their witness shall be written down, and they shall be questioned. 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 Had We, before sending the Quran, given them a book to which they now refer as an authority? 21 Rather they said, “We found our forefathers upon a religion, and we are following their footsteps.” 22 Even so We sent never before thee any warner into any city, except that its men who lived at ease said, 'We indeed found our fathers upon a community, and we are following upon their traces.' 23 ۞ Each Prophet asked them: “Will you do so even if we were to show you a way better than the way of your forefathers?” They answered: “We disbelieve in the religion with which you have been sent.” 24 So we took retribution from them; then see how was the end of the deniers. 25