What! has He taken daughters out of what He himself creates, and granted to you sons for choice? 16 And when any of them is given the good tidings of that he has likened to the All-merciful, his face is darkened, and he chokes inwardly. 17 "What! [Am I to have a daughter] one who is to be reared [only] for the sake of ornament?" and thereupon he finds himself torn by a vague inner conflict. 18 They claim that the angels, who are themselves the worshipers of the Merciful, are females. Did they witness their creation! Their witness shall be written down and they shall be questioned. 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 Or have We given them a book before it so that they hold fast to it? 21 Nay, for they say only: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are guided by their footprints. 22 In the same way, whenever We had sent a Messenger before you to warn a town, the rich ones therein said, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we follow in their footsteps. 23 ۞ He said: "What! Even if I brought you better guidance than that which ye found your fathers following?" They said: "For us, we deny that ye (prophets) are sent (on a mission at all)." 24 So We took vengeance upon them, and see how the end was of those who lied. 25