Or has He taken from those He has created daughters for Himself, and assigned sons to you? 16 And if one of them is informed of the news of (the birth of) that which he set forth as a parable to the Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. of a girl), his face becomes dark, gloomy, and he is filled with grief! 17 Can one who has been raised on ornaments and cannot present her case coolly in a dispute (be associated with God?) 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 The pagans say, "Had the Beneficent God wanted, we would not have worshipped them (idols)." Whatever they say is not based on knowledge. It is only a false conjecture. 20 Or have We given them a Book before this which they hold fast to? 21 Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided." 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 ۞ [Each warner] said, "Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?" They said, "Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are disbelievers." 24 So We wreaked Our vengeance on them: now see what was the end of those who rejected [the Truth]! 25