Or chooseth He daughters of all that He hath created, and honoureth He you with sons? 16 For [thus it is:] if any of them is given the glad tiding of [the birth of] what he so readily attributes to the Most Gracious, his face darkens, and he is filled with suppressed anger: 17 Is then one brought up among trinkets, and unable to give a clear account in a dispute (to be associated with Allah)? 18 Yet they have made the angels, who are creatures of Ar-Rahman, females. Did they witness their creation? We shall record their testimony, and they will be interrogated. 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 did We bestow upon them a Book before on whose authority they are holding on (to angel-worship)? 21 In fact they say: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and are guided by their footprints." 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 ۞ Say: 'What, though I should bring you a better guidance than you found your fathers upon?' They say, 'We disbelieve in that you were sent with.' 24 Then We punished them. So look at the fate of those who denied. 25