Has Allah taken for Himself daughters out of those whom He creates and has chosen you to have sons? 16 Yet when one of them is given glad news of (a daughter) that which he likened to the Merciful his face darkens and he chokes inwardly (with gloom). 17 ["Do you ascribe to God] one who is brought up among ornaments and who cannot produce a cogent argument?" 18 And they appoint the angels, who are the bondmen of the Most Gracious, as females; were they present at the time of the angels’ creation? Their declaration will be now recorded and they will be questioned. 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 Or have We given them any Book before this (the Quran), to which they are holding fast? 21 Nay, for they say only: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are guided by their footprints. 22 And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following." 23 ۞ The Messengers would say, "Would you still follow in the footsteps of your fathers even if I was to bring you better guidance?" They would say, "We have no faith in your message". 24 So We wreaked Our vengeance on them: now see what was the end of those who rejected [the Truth]! 25