Or has He taken, out of what He has created, daughters and chosen you for [having] 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 So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident [attributed to Allah]? 18 They consider the angels, God's servants, to be female. Did they witness their creation? Their claim will be put on record and they will be questioned about it. 19 They say, 'Had the All-merciful so willed, we would not have served them.' They have no knowledge of that; they are only conjecturing. 20 Have We given them a Book before this, to which they are holding fast? 21 Rather they said, “We found our forefathers upon a religion, and we are following their footsteps.” 22 Whenever We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, the affluent among them said, in the same way, "We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps." 23 ۞ The warner said: What! even though I bring you a better guidance than that which ye found your fathers upon? They said: verily in that wherewith ye are sent we are disbelievers. 24 Wherefore We took revenge on them. Behold, then how hath been the end of the beliers? 25