Has He then taken daughters out of His own creation and chosen sons for you? 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 Hath He taken to Himself that which is reared in ornaments, and is in contention not plain? 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 They say, 'Had the All-merciful so willed, we would not have served them.' They have no knowledge of that; they are only conjecturing. 20 Did We give them a Scripture before this to which they are holding fast? 21 In fact they say: "We found our fathers following a certain way, and are guided by their footprints." 22 And in this wise We sent not before thee into any city a warner but the affluent thereof said: verily we! we found our fathers on a certain way and verily their footsteps we are following. 23 ۞ Say: 'What, though I should bring you a better guidance than you found your fathers upon?' They say, 'We disbelieve in that you were sent with.' 24 So we took retribution from them; then see how was the end of the deniers. 25