Key takeaway
Quran 13:3 says that "from all of the fruits He made therein two mates," and 20:53 speaks of azwāj (pairs, rendered "categories" by Saheeh International) "of various plants." Botany confirms that most plants reproduce sexually, with male (pollen) and female (ovule) parts, either in the same flower or on separate plants. The sexuality of plants was demonstrated experimentally by Rudolf Camerarius in 1694, although farmers had long hand-pollinated date palms.
The verses
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى مَدَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَأَنْهَـٰرًا ۖ وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ جَعَلَ فِيهَا زَوْجَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٣
And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلًا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزْوَٰجًا مِّن نَّبَاتٍ شَتَّىٰ ٥٣
[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants.
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 ٱثْنَيْنِ | zawjayni ithnayn | "two mates, a pair" (emphatic) |
| أَزْوَٰجًا مِّن نَّبَاتٍ شَتَّىٰ | azwājan min nabātin shattā | "pairs (kinds) of various plants"; Saheeh International: "categories of various plants" |
The verses
Quran 13:3 mentions the spread-out earth, mountains, rivers, and that "from all of the fruits He made therein two mates." Quran 20:53 describes rain bringing forth azwāj of various plants, which Saheeh International renders "categories of various plants," and Quran 36:36 glorifies Allah, who created "all pairs, from what the earth grows." Classical exegetes explained these pairs as kinds or types, such as sweet and sour or black and white. The modern biological reading adds a further layer.
Plant reproduction
Flowering plants produce pollen (male) and ovules (female). Pollination by wind, insects or other animals brings them together and produces seeds and fruit. Some plants, such as date palms, have separate male and female trees. Rudolf Jakob Camerarius demonstrated plant sexuality experimentally in 1694, and Linnaeus later built his classification on reproductive organs.
Historical honesty
Date growers in Mesopotamia and Arabia hand-pollinated female palms with male flowers for thousands of years, and the practice was known in Medina in the Prophet's ﷺ time. What was not known was that sexuality is a general feature of plants, which is how the Quran phrases it ("from all of the fruits").
Balanced assessment
Moderate A reasonable, accurate correspondence; the words have other valid meanings or the fact was partly known before.
The general statement that plants come in pairs agrees with botany. Since pairs can also mean "kinds," and date-palm pollination was known, we rate this as moderate: accurate and broad, though not a hidden discovery in every respect.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Quran say plants have male and female?
Quran 13:3 says "from all of the fruits He made therein two mates," and 20:53 mentions azwāj (pairs or kinds) of various plants. Botany confirms that plants reproduce through male and female parts.
References
Quran
- Quran 13:3, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
- Quran 20:53, 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. “Plants in Pairs.” https://quranscientificmiracles.com/topics/plants-pairs-and-pollination/ (reviewed 2026-10-20).