What! has He taken daughters to Himself of what He Himself creates and chosen you to have 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 And they have made the angels, who are themselves servants of the All-merciful, females. What, did they witness their creation? Their witness shall be written down, and they shall be questioned. 19 Yet they say: "If Ar-Rahman had so pleased we would not have worshipped them." They have no knowledge of it in the least. They only make up lies. 20 Or have We, perchance, vouchsafed them, before this one, a revelation [to the contrary,] to which they are still holding fast? 21 Nay, but they say: "Behold, We found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and verily, it is in their footsteps that we find our guidance!" 22 And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following." 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 And so We inflicted Our retribution on them: and behold what happened in the end to those who gave the lie to the truth! 25