Hath He taken for Himself from whatsoever He hath created daughters, and hath honoured 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 Can one who has been raised on ornaments and cannot present her case coolly in a dispute (be associated with God?) 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 What! have We given them a Book before this, to which they are holding fast? 21 Nay, but they say: "Behold, We found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and verily, it is in their footsteps that we find our guidance!" 22 And similarly, whenever We sent a Herald of Warning before you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) into any town, its wealthy people said, “We found our forefathers upon a religion, and we are behind their footsteps.” 23 ۞ "Even if I bring you a better guidance," he rejoined, "than the one you found your fathers on?" Still they said: "We do not believe in what you have brought." 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