Or chooseth He daughters of all that He hath created, and honoureth He 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 Hath He taken to Himself that which is reared in ornaments, and is in contention not plain? 18 They claim that angels, who are Allah's chosen servants, are females. Did they witness how their body is constituted? Their testimony shall be written and they shall be called to account. 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 Or have We given them a Book before this which they hold fast to? 21 Nay! they say: We found our fathers on a course, and surely we are guided by their footsteps. 22 And in this wise We sent not before thee into any city a warner but the affluent thereof said: verily we! we found our fathers on a certain way and verily their footsteps we are following. 23 ۞ The prophet said, “What! Even if I bring to you a path better than what you found your forefathers following?”; they said, “We do not believe in whatever you have been sent with.” 24 So we took retribution from them; then see how was the end of the deniers. 25