Or [do you think,] perchance, that out of all His creation He has chosen for Himself daughters, and favoured you with 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 you ascribe to God] one who is brought up among ornaments and who cannot produce a cogent argument?" 18 Do they say that the angels, who are the servants of the Beneficent God, are females? Have they witnessed their creation? Their words as such will be recorded and they will be questioned for it. 19 And they said, "If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have of that no knowledge. They are not but falsifying. 20 Or have We given them a book before the Qur'an to which they are adhering? 21 Nay; they simply claim: “We found our forefathers on a way, and we continue to find guidance in their footsteps.” 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 ۞ (The warner) said: "Even if I bring you better guidance than that which you found your fathers following?" They said: "Verily, We disbelieve in that with which you have been sent." 24 So We inflicted retribution on them, then see how was the end of the rejecters. 25