Or has He taken from those He has created daughters for Himself, and assigned sons to you? 16 And if one of them hath tidings of that which he likeneth to the Beneficent One, his countenance becometh black and he is full of inward rage. 17 Do they assign to Allah one who grows up amidst ornaments and is not well-versed in the art of disputation? 18 They claim that angels, who are Allah's chosen servants, are females. Did they witness how their body is constituted? Their testimony shall be written and they shall be called to account. 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 Have We vouchsafed unto them any Book before this, so that they are to it holding fast? 21 No, but they say: 'We found our fathers following a creed, and by following in their footsteps we are guided. 22 As such, We never sent a warner before you to a village, except those living in luxury said: 'We found our fathers following a creed, and by following in their footsteps we are guided' 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