Or chooseth He daughters of all that He hath created, and honoureth He 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 So is one brought up in ornaments while being during conflict unevident [attributed to Allah]? 18 And they make the angels who are the bondmen of the Compassionate females. Have they witnessed their creation? Their testimony will be written down, and they will be questioned. 19 ("Ah!") they say, "If it had been the will of (Allah) Most Gracious, we should not have worshipped such (deities)!" Of that they have no knowledge! they do nothing but lie! 20 Did We give them a Scripture before this to which they are holding fast? 21 Nay! they say: We found our fathers on a course, and surely we are guided by their footsteps. 22 Whenever We sent a messenger before you to warn a township, the affluent among them said, in the same way, "We saw our fathers following this tradition; we are only following in their footsteps." 23 ۞ (The warner) said: What! even if I bring to you a better guide than that on which you found your fathers? They said: Surely we are unbelievers in that with which you are sent. 24 Wherefore We took revenge on them. Behold, then how hath been the end of the beliers? 25