Or [do you think,] perchance, that out of all His creation He has chosen for Himself daughters, and favoured 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 And they make the angels, who are the slaves of the Beneficent, females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded and they will be questioned. 19 And they say: If the Beneficent Allah had pleased, we should never have worshipped them. They have no knowledge of this; they only lie. 20 Or did We bestow upon them a Book before on whose authority they are holding on (to angel-worship)? 21 Nay! they say: verily we have found our fathers on a certain way, and verily by their footsteps we are guided. 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 ۞ He said: "What! Even if I brought you better guidance than that which ye found your fathers following?" They said: "For us, we deny that ye (prophets) are sent (on a mission at all)." 24 So We inflicted retribution on them, then see how was the end of the rejecters. 25