Has God chosen some of His own creatures as daughters for Himself and has given you the preference of having 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 Do they assign to Allah one who grows up amidst ornaments and is not well-versed in the art of disputation? 18 And [yet] they claim that the angels - who in themselves are but beings created by the Most Gracious - are females: [but] did they witness their creation? This false claim of theirs will be recorded, and they will be called to account [for it on Judgment Day]! 19 They say, "If the All Merciful had so willed, we would not have worshipped them." They have no knowledge of that. They are only conjecturing. 20 Or have We given them a book before the Qur'an to which they are adhering? 21 Nay, for they say only: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are guided by their footprints. 22 And even so We sent not a warner before thee (Muhammad) into any township but its luxurious ones said: Lo! we found our fathers following a religion, and we are following their footprints. 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 We took revenge on them. See how terrible the end of those who rejected (Or revelations) was! 25