Hath He taken for Himself from whatsoever He hath created daughters, and hath honoured 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 "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 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 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 some Book before this, to which they hold fast? 21 In fact, they say, "We found our fathers following a certain belief and we now follow in their footsteps for our guidance". 22 And thus, We did not send before you any warner in a town, but those who led easy lives in it said: Surely we found our fathers on a course, and surely we are followers of their footsteps. 23 ۞ Each Prophet asked them: “Will you do so even if we were to show you a way better than the way of your forefathers?” They answered: “We disbelieve in the religion with which you have been sent.” 24 So We took vengeance upon them; and behold how was the end of them that cried lies. 25