Has God chosen some of His own creatures as daughters for Himself and has given you the preference of having 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 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: "If Ar-Rahman had so pleased we would not have worshipped them." They have no knowledge of it in the least. They only make up lies. 20 Or have We given them some Book before this, to which they hold fast? 21 Nay, for they say only: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are guided by their footprints. 22 Whenever We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, the affluent among them said, in the same way, "We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps." 23 ۞ (The warner) said: What! even if I bring to you a better guide than that on which you found your fathers? They said: Surely we are unbelievers in that with which you are sent. 24 So We wreaked Our vengeance on them: now see what was the end of those who rejected [the Truth]! 25