Key takeaway
Quran 51:49 says "of all things We created two mates," and 36:36 speaks of pairs "from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know." Pairing turns out to be deeply woven into nature: male and female in plants and animals, positive and negative electric charge, and every particle of matter paired with an antiparticle, a fact discovered in the 20th century.
The verses
وَمِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ٤٩
And of all things We created two mates [i.e., counterparts]; perhaps you will remember.
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْأَزْوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٦
Exalted is He who created all pairs - from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.
Key Arabic terms
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| زَوْجَيْنِ | zawjayn | two mates or counterparts; zawj is one of a matched pair |
| مِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ | mimmā lā yaʿlamūn | "of that which they do not know" |
Pairs in living things
Sexual reproduction, with male and female counterparts, is found throughout animals and most plants. The sexuality of plants was first demonstrated experimentally by Rudolf Camerarius in 1694. The Quran mentions pairs in plants specifically elsewhere. See plants in pairs.
Pairs in physics
In 1928 Paul Dirac's equation predicted that every particle has an antiparticle with opposite charge. In 1932 Carl Anderson discovered the positron, the electron's antiparticle. Physics is also full of complementary opposites: positive and negative charge, north and south magnetic poles, matter and antimatter.
"That which they do not know"
The phrase in 36:36 leaves room for pairs beyond what the first audience could observe. Many readers see in it an invitation to keep discovering. Its main lesson is theological: created things come in pairs and depend on each other, while the Creator alone is One and without counterpart.
Balanced assessment
Interpretive A meaningful reflection the verse allows but does not require.
The statement is broad, and "pairs" can be found in many things depending on how one defines them, so we rate this as interpretive. Its accuracy across biology and physics is still noteworthy, and the explicit reference to unknown pairs is open-ended in a way that fits later discoveries.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Quran say about pairs?
Quran 51:49 says "of all things We created two mates," and 36:36 mentions pairs in plants, in humans, and "from that which they do not know."
References
Quran
- Quran 51:49, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
- Quran 36:36, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
Science & history
Classical exegesis is summarized from the standard commentaries (e.g. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī). See our methodology.
Cite this page
Quran Scientific Miracles. “Pairs in All Things.” https://quranscientificmiracles.com/topics/pairs-in-all-things/ (reviewed 2026-10-20).