Everything Created in Pairs — How the Mufassireen Understood It
A lot of people make the argument that the Quran says there is only one type of breading however this is all refuted by reading the tafsir.
The Verse and Its Tafsir
The Meaning of Zawj and Zawjayn
What exactly does the tafseer mean that animals and plants were made in pairs?
We look to the meaning of ==zawj and zawjayn==. Zawj means ‘type’ and Zawjayn means ‘pair of opposite counterparts’. Tafsir At-Tabari and Tafsir Qurtubi explain that from both plants and animals they were created from male and female.
Objection: The Intersex Phenomenon
The objection that the intersex phenomenon occurs or that animals can have XXY chromosomes or XYY or whatever has no affect on this ayah, because the verse did not say male and female explicitly, nor does it say that everyone stringently has either XX or XY chromosomes.
Furthermore when these extra chromosomal varieties do happen to occur within a person, that does not affect their phenotypic appearance. Moreover they do not possess the ability to form both types of gametes, either, so they do indeed lean towards one particular end of the biological sex spectrum.
The term “hermaphrodite” has sometimes been used to refer to humans whose biological sex is ambiguous. This usage has fallen out of favor and in any case was technically incorrect. The essential characteristic of hermaphrodites is the ability to reproduce as both male and female. No such case has been identified in any human.
So still they only have the ability to have offspring with the opposite biological sex, therefore having no affect on the verse’s statement.
Tafsir at-Tabari on the Meaning of Pairs
The view that is more likely to be correct is the view of Mujahid, which is that for everything that Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, created, He created a counterpart to it that is different from it in some senses, so that each is an opposite or counterpart of the other. Hence He said “We have created pairs”. In these words, Allah is drawing attention to His might and power to create whatever He wills, and that He is not like created beings which do one type of action and do not do the counterpart thereof, because anything that can do one thing but not the other — such as fire, which can only heat and cannot cool, or ice, which can only cool and cannot heat — cannot be described as perfect; rather perfect and utmost praise is due only to the One Who is able to do all that He wills of things that are different or similar.
The ability of intersex individuals to function as both male and female biologically does not exist. They may have different chromosomal variations or nuances in their sexual organs, but they can stringently only act biologically and sexually as either male or female to produce offspring as part of a sexual pair.
Thus the objections to this verse are frivolous.
Objection: Asexual Reproduction in Living Organisms
The point of contention: Science today proves that there is asexual reproduction in living organisms such as: mitosis, budding, budding, fragmentation, regeneration, binary fission, and parthenogenesis, while the Quran says And of everything We created pairs, and this contradicts science and scientists.
The response:
Firstly, the absurdity of this claim lies in the pretense of its proponents in their use of science while ignoring common sense. Does the scientific discovery of asexual beings, neither male nor female, contradict the Quranic verse? And what about the angels, why did they forget it and instead go to remind the viruses?
Secondly: Those who raise this misconception are unaware that the Quraysh used to refer to angels using feminine terms. The Quran was revealed to refute them, stating that God’s servants are not distinguished by gender. Their failure to question this point is the strongest proof that they haven’t read even a single commentary. It would have been more appropriate for the Quran to mention angels to raise this misconception, rather than waiting for science to discover amoebas. After 1400 years, until science discovered asexual reproduction, boom! The error was revealed! The Quraysh didn’t notice this, even though the Quran was revealed denying that angels were daughters of God. Of course, no one noticed this until scientists discovered that amoebas, bacteria, and protozoa reproduce asexually. Surprise!
Thirdly: Simply put, all interpretations and sayings from the early and later scholars say that the meaning of “the pair” is opposites: such as night and day, male and female, happiness and misery, sweet and sour.
The Classical Scholars on This Verse
Tafsir Al-Sam’ani
Al-Sam’ani said in his interpretation: “His saying, may He be exalted: {And of everything We created two kinds}, meaning: two types. It is said: its meaning is two kinds, and that is like: the sky and the earth, the night and the day, the light and the darkness, the male and the female, the land and the sea. And on the authority of Mujahid, he said: disbelief and faith, misery and happiness, guidance and misguidance.”
The highlighted text explains the Quranic verse: “And of all things We created two mates” (وَمِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ):
-
General Meaning: It signifies that everything has been created in pairs, categories, or opposites.
-
Examples provided: > * Heaven and Earth
-
Night and Day
-
Light and Darkness
-
Male and Female
-
Land and Sea
-
-
Spiritual Opposites (Narrated by Mujahid): It also includes dualities of faith and destiny, specifically Disbelief and Belief (الكفر والإيمان), as well as Misery and Happiness, and Guidance and Error (والشقاوة والسعادة، والهدى والضلالة).
Tafsir Al-Qurtubi
Al-Qurtubi said in Al-Hidayah ila Bulugh al-Nihayah: “Then he said: {And of everything We created two kinds} The meaning is: And of everything We created two kinds, that is, two genders, male and female, sweet and sour, as Ibn Zayd and Al-Farra’ said. It was said that its meaning is: We created two different types, like misery and happiness, guidance and misguidance, faith and disbelief, night and day, heaven and earth, humans and jinn, as Mujahid said. Al-Hasan said: It is like the sun and the moon.”
The text provides multiple classical interpretations for the verse {وَمِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ}:
-
Physical and Sensual Dualities (Ibn Zayd & Al-Farra): It refers to opposites in gender, taste, or nature, such as male and female (ذكرًا وأنثى) and sweet and sour (حلوًا وحامضًا).
-
Moral and Cosmic Dualities (Mujahid): It signifies the creation of two distinct types or contrasting states:
-
Misery and happiness (الشقاء والسعادة)
-
Guidance and misguidance (الهدى والضلالة)
-
Belief and disbelief (الإيمان والكفر)
-
Night and day / Heaven and earth (الليل والنهار / السماء والأرض)
-
Humans and Jinn (الإنس والجن)
-
-
Cosmic Pairs (Al-Hasan): Specifically exemplified by pairs like the Sun and the Moon (الشمس والقمر).
Tafsir Al-Qasimi
Al-Qasimi said in his commentary: “And of everything We created pairs,” meaning male and female, or two opposing types. Ibn Kathir said: All creation is in pairs: heaven and earth, night and day, sun and moon, land and sea, light and darkness, faith and disbelief, death and life, misery and happiness, Paradise and Hell, even animals and plants. This is taken from Ibn Jarir’s words in support of Mujahid’s interpretation. Ibn Jarir’s statement, and the more correct of the two opinions regarding this, is Mujahid’s: that God, Blessed and Exalted is He, created for everything He created a counterpart, differing in its meaning. Each of them is a pair to the other, and that is why it is said, “We created pairs.” He, Glorified and Exalted is He, drew attention to this in His statement, “His creation,” to His power to create whatever He wills, and that He is not like things whose nature is to do only one type without its opposite, since everything whose characteristic is to do only one type without its counterpart, like fire, which Its nature is to heat and it is not suitable for cooling, and it is like ice, whose nature is to cool and it is not suitable for heating, so it is not permissible to describe it as perfect. Rather, perfect praise is for the One who is able to do whatever He wills of different and similar things. End quote.
The text details classical commentary on the dual nature of creation from Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tafsir Ibn Jarir (Al-Tabari):
-
Ibn Kathir’s Commentary (Orange Box): > * He states that all created things exist as pairs or contrasting opposites.
-
Examples include: Heaven and earth, sun and moon, night and day, land and sea, light and darkness, belief and disbelief, death and life, misery and happiness, Paradise and Hellfire, and extending even to animals and plants.
-
This view directly supports the earlier interpretation by Mujahid.
-
-
Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari’s Synthesis (Green Box): > * He concludes that the most accurate interpretation is the one stated by Mujahid: Allah created a distinct, opposing counterpart for every single thing He brought into existence.
- The Wisdom: This serves as a reminder of His absolute power. Unlike created elements that can only perform a single nature (e.g., fire can only heat, snow can only cool), Allah is not bound by a singular nature. His perfection and praise lie in His ability to create completely diverse, distinct, and varying things at His will.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir — Direct Statement
Ibn Kathir said: “(And of everything We created pairs) meaning: all creatures are pairs: heaven and earth, night and day, sun and moon, land and sea, light and darkness, faith and disbelief, death and life, misery and happiness, paradise and hell, even animals, jinn and humans, males and females, and plants. That is why He said: (Perhaps you will remember).”
The highlighted text explains the verse {وَمِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ}:
-
The Core Meaning: It denotes that all created entities exist as pairs or couples (أزواج).
-
Cosmic & Earthly Dualities: This duality includes pairs like heaven and earth, night and day, sun and moon, land and sea, light and darkness.
-
Moral & Existential Dualities: It extends to faith and disbelief, death and life, misery and happiness, and Paradise and Hellfire.
-
Biological Dualities: This principle manifests across all living creations, specifically including animals and plants as male and female (ذكور وإناث).
-
The Purpose {لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ}: These vast dualities are created so that humanity may realize and remember that the Creator is unique, single, and has no partner (أن الخالق واحد لا شريك له).
Fath al-Bari — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Al-Asqalani said in Fath al-Bari: “(And of everything We created pairs) [Adh-Dhariyat: 49] disbelief and faith, misery and happiness, guidance and misguidance, night and day, heaven and earth, jinn and humankind, and the odd number is Allah. A similar narration is related through Abu Salih. It is also narrated from Ibn Abbas through a sound chain of transmission that he said: The odd number is the Day of Arafah, and the even number is the Day of Sacrifice, and in another narration, the days of sacrifice.” Peace be upon you.
The highlighted text from Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani contextualizes the verse {وَمِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ} within the framework of divine creation:
-
The Core Dualities (Narrated by Mujahid): Creation fundamentally consists of paired opposites or distinct categories, explicitly exemplified by:
-
Disbelief and belief (الكفر والإيمان)
-
Misery and happiness (الشقاء والسعادة)
-
Guidance and misguidance (الهدى والضلالة)
-
Night and day / Heaven and earth (الليل والنهار، والسماء والأرض)
-
Humans and Jinn (والجن والإنس)
-
-
The Divine Contrast (The Odd/Unique): In contrast to all of creation being made in pairs or even numbers (شَفْع), Allah alone is Witr (الوتر) — Singular, One, and Unique.
-
An Alternative Interpretation (Ibn Abbas): A narration through Sa’id bin Jubayr suggests that the “Witr” (the odd) refers to the Day of Arafah, while the “Shaf’” (the pair/even) refers to the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr).
