Has God chosen some of His own creatures as daughters for Himself and has given you the preference of having sons? 16 When one of them is given the glad news of the birth of a daughter, which they believe to be the only kind of child that the Beneficent God can have, his face blackens with anger. 17 (Do they then like for Allah) a creature who is brought up in adornments (wearing silk and gold ornaments, i.e. women), and in dispute cannot make herself clear? 18 And they make the angels who are the bondmen of the Compassionate females. Have they witnessed their creation? Their testimony will be written down, and they will be questioned. 19 They say: “Had the Merciful One so willed, we would never have worshipped these deities.” But they have no knowledge of the matter and are simply conjecturing. 20 Or did We bestow upon them a Book before on whose authority they are holding on (to angel-worship)? 21 Nay, for they say only: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are guided by their footprints. 22 And in this wise We sent not before thee into any city a warner but the affluent thereof said: verily we! we found our fathers on a certain way and verily their footsteps we are following. 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