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 Can one who has been raised on ornaments and cannot present her case coolly in a dispute (be associated with God?) 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 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 Had We, before sending the Quran, given them a book to which they now refer as an authority? 21 Nay, but they say, 'We found our fathers upon a community, and we are guided upon their traces.' 22 Just in the same way, whenever We sent a Warner before thee to any people, the wealthy ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly 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 revenge of them, then see what was the end of those who denied (Islamic Monotheism). 25