The Quran; A Miracle Beyond Time-A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (Part 29)
Pairing in Existence (Fundamental Opposites and the Scientific Miracle of the Holy Quran)
Symmetry, opposition, and balance are among the most fundamental principles governing the system of existence; and the Holy Quran is a book that has spoken of these principles with unparalleled scientific precision. One of these principles is the rule of “pairing”; a concept that has been mentioned in the Holy Quran with numerous interpretations, including: وَمِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقۡنَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ Translation: “We have created pairs of everything, that you may remember.” [Al-Zariyat: 49]
Also, in another verse it is stated: سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَزۡوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمِنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ Translation: “Glory be to Him who created all the males and females, from what the earth grows, from themselves, and from what they do not know.” [Yasin: 36]
In this section, we will examine the interpretative, ontological, and scientific dimensions of this Quranic rule.
Early Interpreters’ Interpretative in Understanding of the Concept of pairing
At the time of the revelation of the Quran, the verse خَلَقۡنَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ was generally considered to indicate the dual and opposing structure of objects in creation. Early Islamic interpreters, such as Hasan Basri (may Allah bless him) and other Tabe’een, interpreted pairing not only in terms of male and female; but also in terms of all the opposites of existence, such as:
Night and day
Sky and earth
Light and darkness
Land and sea
Death and life
This understanding, in its time, expressed a deep understanding of harmony and balance in creation; and was indeed consistent with the systematization and order existing in nature.
This view considered pairing to be a kind of “intrinsic balance” in the universe in which every object has a complement or counterpart – except for the Holy Essence of Allah, which is pure and in need of no pair or similarity.
Contemporary Scientific Attitude to Pairing in Creation
By the advancement of human science, especially in the fields of physics, biology, and cosmology, the meaning of the word “pair” or “duality” in the noble verse has acquired deeper dimensions; so that today, the principle of pairing can be observed and proven not only in living beings; but also in the fundamental particles of nature.
Pairing in the World of Particles
According to the theories of particle physics, all matter in the world is made of subatomic particles. The two fundamental elements that form the structure of each atom are:
Electron (negative charge)
Proton (positive charge)
Although these two are not “male” and “female” in the biological sense; they are in continuous interaction as reciprocal “pairs” with opposite electrical charges. In fact, pairing at this level means contradiction and complementarity; a concept that can also be inferred in the verse of surah Zariyat.
In addition, the existence of particles and antiparticles (positrons versus electrons) is also further evidence of this paired order in cosmic particles.
Pairing in Plants and Animals
The Holy Quran mentions in Surah Yasin: مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ Translation: “From what the earth grows”
Scientific research has proven, after centuries, that plants, like animals, have male and female organs, and fertilization in many plants occurs through pollination and sexual insemination. This discovery, which has a history of no more than a few centuries, was clearly stated in the Holy Quran fourteen centuries ago.
Pairing in Humans and Animals
The clearest example of pairing is in humans and most animal species, where the existence of both male and female sexes is necessary for the continuation of the generation and biodiversity; but beyond that, even in living organisms that reproduce asexually (such as some bacteria or fungi), hidden forms of dual or complementary interaction are observed, which in modern scientific concepts are considered a type of genetic pairing.
Pairing In what we do not know
The amazing sentence: وَمِمَّا لَا يَعلَمُونَ Translation: “And from what they do not know” in Surah Yasin has a prophetic look that encompasses all unknown scientific possibilities at its heart.
Today, in fields such as quantum physics, pairing is also seen in the form of hidden symmetries or complementary parameters (such as spin, charge, isospin, color charge of quarks, etc.); most humans are still unable to discover their secrets.
Balance, Contrast, and Unity in Diversity
Pairing in the Holy Quran is not only a scientific description of the structure of creation; it also has philosophical implications. Pairing in existence:
Creates balance (male and female, positive and negative)
Gives meaning to contrast (light and darkness, good and evil)
And at the same time, it indicates the unity that governs plurality; because all these pairs return to a single Creator.
The Most Holy Essence of Allah introduces it at the end of the verse as follows: ﵟلَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَﵞ Translation: “So that you may remember (the greatness of the Creator).” [Al-Zariyat: 49]
That is, paying attention to the dual structure of the world is not only for scientific understanding; but also for awakening the intellect and returning to the oneness of Allah Almighty.
In summary, it should be said that the rule of pairing is one of the deepest principles that govern existence; A principle that the Holy Quran has expressed with great delicacy in two illuminating verses. From the level of ancient interpretation to the depth of modern scientific explanation, the concept of the pairing has always been considered as a sign of order, balance, and divine creativity.
This principle is seen not only in biology but also in physics, cosmology, and even metaphysical relationships. Instead of speaking in limited words related to a specific era, the Holy Quran has expressed metahistorical concepts in comprehensive language, of which a new understanding emerges with each period of human progress. [1]
Mokhles, Abdul Rauf Heravi, Professor of Shariat Faculty, Herat University, Afghanistan, The Miracle of the Quran, pp. 45-46, academic dissertation for promotion to the academic rank of professor.
