Has Allah taken for Himself daughters out of those whom He creates and has chosen you to have 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 And (do they chose for Him) one who is brought up among ornaments, and cannot express herself clearly in debate? 18 And they appoint the angels, who are the bondmen of the Most Gracious, as females; were they present at the time of the angels’ creation? Their declaration will be now recorded and they will be questioned. 19 They say: 'Had it been the will of the Merciful, we would never have worshipped them' Of this they have no knowledge, they are but guessing. 20 Had We, before sending the Quran, given them a book to which they now refer as an authority? 21 Nay! they say: verily we have found our fathers on a certain way, and verily by their footsteps we are guided. 22 Thus, We never sent an admonisher to a settlement before you but the decadent among them said. "We found our fathers following this way, and we are walking in their footsteps." 23 ۞ [Each warner] said, "Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?" They said, "Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are disbelievers." 24 Then We punished them. So look at the fate of those who denied. 25