What! has He taken daughters out of what He himself creates, and granted to you sons for choice? 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 Is then one brought up among trinkets, and unable to give a clear account in a dispute (to be associated with Allah)? 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 And they say: had the Compassionate willed we should not have worshipped them. They have no knowledge thereof; they are only guessing. 20 Or have We given them a book before it so that they hold fast to it? 21 Nay! they say: We found our fathers on a course, and surely we are guided by their footsteps. 22 Thus, We never sent an admonisher to a settlement before you but the decadent among them said. "We found our fathers following this way, and we are walking in their footsteps." 23 ۞ The warner said: What! even though I bring you a better guidance than that which ye found your fathers upon? They said: verily in that wherewith ye are sent we are disbelievers. 24 So We inflicted retribution on them, then see how was the end of the rejecters. 25