The Mystery of Pairs in Creation

“Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge.” Qur’an 36:36.

By Abdullahi Yusuf
Adapted from Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed A. Wal’s Islam & Science

The concept of “pairs” or “couples”, although commonly understood to refer to male and female, has a wider implication in the statement, “and things of which they have no knowledge.”

After proclaiming His glory, God declared that His creation embodies the secret of paired existence. God Himself, however, is beyond having a pair, a likeness or an equal.

British physicist Paul Dirac, whose work led to the prediction of antimatter, proposed that particles can exist alongside corresponding antiparticles. He is quoted as saying: “Every particle has its antiparticle of opposite charge.” The concept of creation in pairs is also discussed in the Qur’an, long before the development of modern theories of antimatter.

One scientific development often discussed in connection with this concept is the discovery of antimatter. Paul Dirac’s work on quantum mechanics led to the prediction of the positron, the antiparticle of the electron, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933. The discovery provided a new understanding of the relationship between particles and their corresponding antiparticles.

This concept is also discussed in Nothingness: The Science of Empty Space by Henning Genz.

Thus,

“every particle has his anti-particle of opposite charge… And uncertainty relation tells us that pair creation and pair annihilation happen in the vacuum at all times in all places”.

One of the most interesting aspects of the verse is the range of examples it provides. It speaks of creation in pairs and then points to three broad categories:

Pairs produced by the earth

• Pairs of selves
  Pairs of which mankind has no knowledge
  Pairs Produced by the Earth

Some scholars have interpreted this verse as referring primarily to the plant kingdom. However, the passage may have a broader implication, encompassing different forms of complementary or opposing pairs produced by the earth, including plants.

Pairs produced by the earth may be listed as follows:

• Similar pairs that differ in their physical characteristics, such as metals and non-metals.
• Biologically complementary pairs, such as male and female in plants and animals.
• Physically opposed pairs, such as positive and negative ions and electrical polarity.
• The north and south poles of magnets, as well as other complementary phenomena.

Pairs of Selves

Various meanings may be understood from this part of the verse.

• Man and woman as complementary partners.
• Contrasting human qualities, such as cruel and compassionate, brave and cowardly, good and bad, generous and miserly.

Pairs We Don’t Know Of

The concept of complementary relationships can also be observed in discussions of matter and energy, gravitation and rotational motion, which contribute to our understanding of the balance and structure of the universe.

• Black holes where there is no energy and quarters which stores incredible amount of energy.
• Other examples discussed include the relationship between the solar system and the Sun’s gravitational influence, the Sun’s movement within the galaxy, and the gravitational relationships between galaxies and clusters of galaxies.

These relationships illustrate the complementary forces and interactions that govern the movement of celestial bodies. The gravitational influence of the Sun, for example, plays a central role in keeping the planets in their orbits.

Some examples of particle–antiparticle pairs include the positron and electron, antiproton and proton, antineutron and neutron, and antineutrino and neutrino.

The verse of the Qur’an remains relevant across generations. Even as humanity advances to the frontiers of scientific knowledge, the statement, “and things of which they have no knowledge”, reminds us of the limits of human understanding. Mankind may continue to discover the mysteries of nature, both terrestrial and celestial, without ever exhausting the vastness of Allah’s creation. And Allah has spoken the truth.

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