What! has He taken daughters out of what He himself creates, and granted to you sons for choice? 16 (They believe so although when) any of them is given tidings of the birth of a female child the like of which he assigns to the Merciful One, his countenance darkens and he is choked with grief. 17 So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident [attributed to Allah]? 18 And they make the angels who themselves are slaves to the Most Beneficent (Allah) females. Did they witness their creation? Their evidence will be recorded, and they will be questioned! 19 And they say: had the Compassionate willed we should not have worshipped them. They have no knowledge thereof; they are only guessing. 20 Or have We given them a book before it so that they hold fast to it? 21 No indeed! They say, "We have found our fathers following a certain course, and we are guided by their footsteps." 22 And thus it is: whenever We sent, before thy time, a warner to any community, those of its people who had lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures would always say: "Behold, we found our forefathers agreed on what to believe - and verily, it is but in their footsteps that we follow!" 23 ۞ (And the warner) said: What! Even though I bring you better guidance than that ye found your fathers following? They answered: Lo! in what ye bring we are disbelievers. 24 So We requited them. Then see the nature of the consequence for the rejecters! 25