51:49 The Creation of Everything in Pairs

TF-RA | April 29, 2020

وَمِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ

And of everything We have created pairs 

To explain this āyah (= verse), we will rely on the tafseer (= interpretation) of classical scholars. Hence, no one can accuse us of reinterpreting the āyah in view of recent scientific discoveries which would, in turn, be a troublesome thing to do, that is, to link the irrefutable to the refutable. Rather, what we firmly acknowledge is the well-established consistency of Islamic texts with the established reality and unaltered common sense. 

Creation of All Things in Pairs  

... وَمِنْ كُلِّ شَيْء

51:49 And of everything ...

To understand this āyah, we should be aware of the language of Qur'ān. Otherwise, we will understand the āyah incorrectly, as those who try to malign Islām usually do. They fail to realize that works of literature have their own distinct language through which they can correctly be comprehended. If this is true for some [man-made] works of literature, how is it going to be when it comes to a Book which has no rival in its eloquence and beauty?

And, we can see one of the language styles of Qur'ān here in this āyah. In which the term everything has been interpreted figuratively by some scholars. They consider it to be a figure of speech [called majāz mursal (synecdoche)] by which the whole is put for a part; everything for animals, birds, fishes, insects, etc. [that have a male-female pair]. And, this figure of speech can be found in many places in Qur'ān, for example:

And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka'bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allāh. (Qur'ān, 3:97)

Here in this āyah a similar figure of speech has also been used, by which the whole is put for a part; mankind for Muslims. Because, it is obvious that pilgrimage to Mecca is mandatory only on Muslims. 

In the same manner, in āyah 51:49, by everything, animals, bird, fishes, etc are meant. And, this interpretation has been supported by many scholars. In his commentary on this āyah, Az-Zamakhshari rahimahullāh, an 11th century scholar, says:

  وَمِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ أى من كل شيء من الحيوان خَلَقْنا زَوْجَيْنِ ذكرا وأنثى

And of everything [meaning of everything from amongst the animals, birds, fishes, etc.] We have created pairs [of male and female]. (1)

Considering this valid interpretation, the āyah is understood without any problems whatsoever. And, there arises no issues in understating it.

خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ

51:49 We have created pairs

Another point which should be taken into account when reading this āyah is that the term pair has also been interpreted differently by the scholars of [Qur'ānic interpretation]. According to some scholars the term pair in this āyah refers to a set of [one] male and [one] female. In his commentary on this part of āyah, Ibn Zaid rahimahullāh, a 7th century scholar, says:

ذكرًا وأنثى، ذاك الزوجان

Male and female, these are the pairs. (2)

And, their interpretation of the term pair as a set of [one] male and [one] female is totally in line with the above interpretation. 

Other scholars, like Mujāhid rahimahullāh, another 7th century scholar, interpret pair as a set of two different things. Commenting on this part of the āyah, he interprets the pair as a set of two things such as:

الكفر والإيمان، والشقاوة والسعادة، والهدى والضلالة، والليل والنهار، والسماء والأرض، والإنس والجن

Belief and disbelief, misfortune and prosperity, guidance and misguidance, night and day, sky and earth, human and Jinn. (3)

Therefore, the term pair in this āyah can refer to a set of two things in terms of gender and also a set of two things in terms of being corresponding or complementary to one another. 

And, this usage of the term pair is even common in our daily conversations such as the phrase a pair of gloves which doesn't refer to gender. It refers to the fact that they are complementary to one another. 

There is sea and land, sea creatures and land creatures, solid and liquid, warm and cold, life and death, light and dark, etc etc. These are all pairs which correspond [and complement] to one another in one way or another.

This is how our scholars who knew the language of Qur'ān better than any of us have interpreted this āyah; however, those in whose heart there is disease try to impose their own preconceived notions on these āyāt (= plural of āyah), thereby misleading themselves and those who follow them blindly.

Footnotes

(1) Az-Zamakhshari, ‘Al-Kashshāf’, Dār-ul Kitāb al-'Arabi, vol.4, page 404.

(2) At-Tabarī, ‘Jāmi' ul-bayān fi ta'wīl il-Qur'ān’, Ar-Risālah institute, Vol. 22, Page 440.

(3) At-Tabarī, ‘Jāmi' ul-bayān fi ta'wīl il-Qur'ān’, Ar-Risālah institute, Vol. 22, Page 439.