Or [do you think,] perchance, that out of all His creation He has chosen for Himself daughters, and favoured you with 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 (As such they attribute to Allah) who is brought up among ornaments but when disputes arise are powerless. 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 And they said: "If it had been the Will of the Most Beneficent (Allah), we should not have worshipped them (false deities)." They have no knowledge whatsoever of that. They do nothing but lie! 20 Had We, before sending the Quran, given them a book to which they now refer as an authority? 21 In fact, they say, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we now follow in their footsteps for our guidance". 22 And even so We sent not a warner before thee (Muhammad) into any township but its luxurious ones said: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are following their footprints. 23 ۞ Each messenger said, "What if I should bring you better guidance than what you found your forefathers had?" They replied, "We reject any message you have been sent with!" 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