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 ["Do you ascribe to God] one who is brought up among ornaments and who cannot produce a cogent argument?" 18 They consider the angels, God's servants, to be female. Did they witness their creation? Their claim will be put on record and they will be questioned about it. 19 The pagans say, "Had the Beneficent God wanted, we would not have worshipped them (idols)." Whatever they say is not based on knowledge. It is only a false conjecture. 20 Or did We bring them a Book aforetime to which they hold? 21 Nay, but they say, 'We found our fathers upon a community, and we are guided upon their traces.' 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: What! even though I bring you a better guidance than that which ye found your fathers upon? They said: verily in that wherewith ye are sent we are disbelievers. 24 So We took revenge from them – therefore see what sort of fate befell those who denied! 25