God, the One, proclaims that He has created everything in pairs. We find these pairs in all of God’s creation; the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the male and the female, the day and the night are some of the examples of this fact alluded to in the Qur’an. All translations are from The Qur’an: A Complete Revelation. This article is from Chapter 2 of my book (available free) Will You Not Reason?
Glory be to Him who created all the pairs of what the earth produces, and of themselves, and of what they know not! (36:36)
Since the Qur’an — like all of God’s creation —was created (authored) by God, then we would expect it to be paired as well. And this is indeed the case; the Qur’an contains two types of verses, ambiguous and unambiguous, each with a purpose.
He it is that sent down upon thee the Writ; among it are explicit proofs: they are the foundation of the Writ; and others are ambiguous. Then as for those in whose hearts is deviation: they follow what is ambiguous thereof, seeking the means of denial, and seeking its interpretation. And no one knows its interpretation save God, and those firm in knowledge; they say: “We believe in it; all is from our Lord.” But only those of insight take heed. (3:7)
The creation of the Heavens and Earth
God created the Heavens and the Earth (a pair), in a total of six days. He details how He completed the various tasks in an interval of two days (a pair). Of course, Science claims that the universe was created over billions of years. But, it also claims that apes are our cousins (since man and ape evolved from a common ancestor).
God is He who created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne. You have not, besides Him, any ally or intercessor. Will you then not take heed!
He directs the matter from the heaven to the earth; then it rises to Him in a day the measure whereof is a thousand years of what you count.
That is the Knower of the Unseen and the Seen, the Exalted in Might, the Merciful,
Who made good everything He created, and began the creation of man from clay; (32:4-7)
Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne. He covers the night, the day hastening after it swiftly, and the sun and the moon and the stars are subject by His command. In truth, His are the creation and the command. Blessed be God, the Lord of All Creation! (7:54)
Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne, directing the matter. There is no intercessor save after His leave; that is God, your Lord, so serve Him. Will you then not take heed! (10:3)
And He it is that created the heavens and the earth in six days, — and His Throne was upon the water — that He might try you, which of you is best in deed. And if thou sayest: “You will be raised up after death,” those who ignore warning will say: “This is only obvious sorcery.” (11:7)
Who created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne — the Almighty — so ask thou about it one aware. (25:59)
And We created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, and there touched Us no weariness. (50:38)
During the first two days, God created the Heaven and the Earth as a single mass and then split them apart. In the next two days, He made the mountains and the rivers in the Earth and decreed its nourishment. During the last two days, God commanded the Heaven and the Earth to come together and split the Heaven into seven heavens, decreed the function of each Heaven and then ascended onto His Throne.
Have not those who ignore warning considered that the heavens and the earth were stitched together, then We ripped them apart and made of water every living thing? Will they then not believe!
And We made in the earth firm mountains lest it sway with them; and We made therein mountain passes as ways, that they might be guided;
And We made the sky a roof protected; but they, from its proofs, are turning away.
(21:30-32)
And the earth, We spread it out and cast therein firm mountains, and caused to grow therein every balanced thing,
And We made therein livelihoods, for you and those for whom you are not providers.
And of any thing, with Us only are the treasuries thereof; and We send it down only in known measure.
(15:19-21)
He created the heavens without pillars you can see, and He cast into the earth firm mountains lest it sway with you, and He spread therein every creature. And We sent down water from the sky, and caused to grow therein every noble kind.
(31:10)
Say thou: “Do you deny Him who created the earth in two days, and make equals to Him?” That is the Lord of All Creation,
And He made therein firm mountains above it, and blessed it, and decreed therein its diverse nourishment in four days, equal to the askers.
Then He directed Himself to the sky when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: “Come, willingly or unwillingly.” They said: “We come willingly.”
And He determined them — seven heavens in two days — and instructed each heaven in its command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
(41:9-12)
He it is that created for you all that is in the earth; then He directed Himself to the sky and fashioned them seven heavens; and He knows all things.
(2:29)
And He cast into the earth firm mountains lest it sway with you; and rivers and ways, that you might be guided;
(16:15)
Have they not looked at the sky above them: — how We have built it, and made it fair, and it has no rifts?
And the earth: — We spread it out, and cast therein firm mountains; and We caused to grow therein every delightsome kind
As means of insight and a reminder for every repenting servant.
(50:6-8)
Pairs throughout the Qur’an
Once we start noticing pairs in God’s creation we marvel at the sheer number of references to pairs in the Qur’an. I have selected a few verses from various places in the Qur’an which leave no doubt that the Qur’an is authored by God; He who created everything in pairs.
God, there is no god save He, the Living, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him; to Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth — who will intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what is before them and what is after them, and they encompass not anything of His knowledge save what He wills. His Throne overspreads the heavens and the earth, and the preservation thereof wearies Him not; and He is the Exalted, the Great.
(2:255)
Say thou: “O God, Master of Dominion: Thou givest dominion to whom Thou wilt, and Thou removest dominion from whom Thou wilt; Thou exaltest whom Thou wilt, and Thou abasest whom Thou wilt. In Thy hand is good; Thou art over all things powerful.
“Thou makest the night enter into the day, and Thou makest the day enter into the night; and Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest provision to whom Thou wilt without reckoning.”
(3:26-27)
Praise belongs to God, to whom belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth — and to Him belongs the praise in the Hereafter; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
He knows what penetrates the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the sky and what ascends into it; and He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
And those who ignore warning say: “The Hour will not come to us.” Say thou: “Verily, by my Lord — it will come to you — the Knower of the Unseen!” Not absent from Him is the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth, or what is smaller than that or greater, save is in a clear writ,
That He might reward those who heed warning and do righteous deeds; those have pardon and a noble provision.
And those who strive against Our proofs, to frustrate: those have the punishment of a painful scourge.
And those given knowledge see that what is sent down to thee from thy Lord is the truth, and it guides to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.
(34:1-6)
And God created you from dust; then from a sperm-drop; then made He you pairs. And no female bears or gives birth save with His knowledge. And life is not prolonged for one full of years, nor is his life diminished save it is in a writ; that is easy for God.
And not alike are the two seas: one is fresh and sweet, delicious to drink, and one is salty and bitter. And from each you eat succulent flesh, and extract ornaments which you wear. And thou seest the ships ploughing therein, that you might seek of His bounty and that you might be grateful.
He makes the night enter into the day, and makes the day enter into the night, and He made subject the sun and the moon, each running for a stated term. That is God, your Lord: to Him belongs the dominion; and those to whom you call, besides Him, possess not the skin of a date-stone.
If you call to them, they will not hear your call; and were they to hear, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your ascription of partnership. And none can inform thee like One Aware.
(35:11-14)
And a proof for them is the night: We peel away from it the day, and then are they in darkness.
And the sun: it runs to its resting-place; that is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
And the moon: We have determined for it phases, until it returns like the old date-leaf stalk.
It behoves not the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day; and each is in a circuit swimming.
(36:37-40)
He created you from one soul; then He made from it its mate. And He sent down for you of the cattle eight pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers — creation after creation — in three darknesses. That is God, your Lord; to Him belongs the dominion; there is no god save He. How then are you diverted?
(39:6)
The Originator of the Heavens and the Earth has made for you of yourselves pairs, and of the cattle pairs; He creates you thereby — there is nothing like Him — and He is the Hearer, the Seeing.
(42:11)
And who created the pairs, all of them, and made for you of ships and cattle that whereon you ride,
That you might settle yourselves upon their backs; then remember the favour of your Lord when you have settled yourselves thereon, and say: “Glory be to Him who made this subject for us when we were not equal to it!
“And to our Lord are we returning.”
(43:12-14)
Have they not looked at the sky above them: — how We have built it, and made it fair, and it has no rifts?
And the earth: — We spread it out, and cast therein firm mountains; and We caused to grow therein every delightsome kind
As means of insight and a reminder for every repenting servant.
(50:6-8)
And that it is He who makes laugh, and makes weep,
And that it is He who gives death, and gives life,
And that He created the two kinds — the male and the female —
From a sperm-drop when it was emitted,
And that upon Him is the next creation,
(53:43-47)
What is in the heavens and the earth gives glory to God; and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He gives life, and He gives death, and He is over all things powerful.
He is the First and the Last, and the Outer and the Inner; and He knows all things.
He it is that created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne. He knows what penetrates into the earth, and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven, and what ascends into it. And He is with you wherever you may be; and God sees what you do.
To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and to God are matters returned.
He makes the night enter into the day, and makes the day enter into the night. And He knows what is in the breasts.
(57:1-6)
Does man think that he is left to no purpose?
Was he not a sperm-drop from semen emitted?
Then he was a clinging thing — and He created, and fashioned,
And made of it two kinds, the male and the female.
Is then He not able to give life to the dead?
(75:36-40)