Or has He taken to Himself, from that He creates, daughters, and favoured you with 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 (As such they attribute to Allah) who is brought up among ornaments but when disputes arise are powerless. 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 They say: “Had the Merciful One so willed, we would never have worshipped these deities.” But they have no knowledge of the matter and are simply conjecturing. 20 Had We, before sending the Quran, given them a book to which they now refer as an authority? 21 Nay; they simply claim: “We found our forefathers on a way, and we continue to find guidance in their footsteps.” 22 And even so We sent not a warner before thee (Muhammad) into any township but its luxurious ones said: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are following their footprints. 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 inflicted retribution on them, then see how was the end of the rejecters. 25