What! has He taken daughters to Himself of what He Himself creates and chosen you to have sons? 16 When any of them is given the news of the very thing [i.e. a female child] which he himself has ascribed to the All Merciful, his face darkens and he is filled with grief -- 17 Is then one brought up among trinkets, and unable to give a clear account in a dispute (to be associated with Allah)? 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, "If the All Merciful had so willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have no knowledge of that. They are only conjecturing. 20 Or have We given them any scripture before (this Qur'an) so that they are holding fast thereto? 21 No, but they say: 'We found our fathers following a creed, and by following in their footsteps we are guided. 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 ۞ Each Prophet asked them: “Will you do so even if we were to show you a way better than the way of your forefathers?” They answered: “We disbelieve in the religion with which you have been sent.” 24 We took revenge on them. See how terrible the end of those who rejected (Or revelations) was! 25