๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ โ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ง (๐๐:๐๐)
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
My question is about the verse โAnd of everything We have created pairs, that you may rememberโ Quran (51:49)
Does the word pairs [zawjayn] include two variations of the same thing, such as apples for example?
Does the word โpairsโ occur in the same context in all the verses which speak of the creation of everything in pairs? Can you give some examples of the usage of this word, along with evidence?
๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ
โAnd We created you in pairsโ means We have created you, males, and females, from one type, so that each of them may find comfort in the other, so that there may be affection and compassion, which will result in offspring.
๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ
- Meaning of โAnd of everything We have created pairsโฆโ
- Meaning of โand of every fruit He has placed therein two kindsโ
- What is the meaning of zawj and zawjayn?
- Meaning of verses like โAnd We created you in pairsโ
Praise be to Allah.
๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ โ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌโฆโ
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): โAnd of everything We have created pairs, that you may remember.โ Quran [adh-Dhariyat 51:49]
What the verse means is that Allah, may He be exalted, has created pairs of all created things; that is, two opposite types or counterparts, such as male and female, night and day, heat and cold, and so on. This is indicative of the perfect might of Allah, may He be exalted, who creates whatever He wills. So, He creates a thing and He creates its opposite, which differs from it in its characteristics.
๐๐ญ-๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข (๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ) ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐:
“There was a difference of opinion concerning the words โWe have created pairsโ. Some scholars said that what is meant by it is: We have created two different types of everything, such as misery and happiness, guidance and misguidance, and so on.
Mujahid said: Disbelief and faith, misery and happiness, guidance and misguidance, night and day, heaven and earth, and male and female.
๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐: ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐.
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 โWe have created pairsโ.
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 that do one type of action and do not do the counterpart thereof, because anything that can do one thing but not the other โ such as fire, which can only heat and cannot cool, or ice, which can only cool and cannot heat โ 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.โ
(Tafsir at-Tabari (22/439-440)
๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ซ (๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ) ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐:
โAnd of everything We have created pairs, that you may rememberโ [adh-Dhariyat 51:47] means: all things are created 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, and even animate beings โ jinn and humans, male and female โ and plants. Hence Allah says: โthat you may rememberโ that is, so that you may know that the Creator is one, with no partner or associate.โ (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (7/424)
๐๐ฅ-๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ข (๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ) ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐:
โThe words โAnd of everything We have created pairsโ means of two types, and two different varieties. Ibn Zayd said: That is, male and female, sweet and sour, and so on. Mujahid said: That is, male and female, heaven and earth, sun and moon, night and day, light and darkness, plains and mountains, jinn.
And humans, good and evil, morning and evening, and different types of things, such as tastes, smells and sounds. In other words, We have made this like that as an indication of Our might, for the One Who is able to do that is able to recreate [all of that, on the Day of Resurrection].โ (Tafsir al-Qurtubi (17/53)
๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ข (๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ) ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐:
โThat is, to different types, such as night and day, black and white, health and sickness, and so on.โ (Tafsir Ibn Jizzi, 2/310)
๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ โ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌโ
With regard to the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): โand of every fruit He has placed therein two kinds [zawjayn],โ [ar-Raโd 13:3], Ibn Kathir said: โThat is, of everything [He has made] two types.โ (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 4/431)
๐๐ฅ-๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ข ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐:
โThat is, two types. Abu โUbaydah said: The word zawj may refer to one or two.
And it was said that what is meant by zawjayn is two types, such as sweet and sour, fresh, and dry, white and black, small and large.โ (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 9/280)
Ibn โAtiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
โZawj in this verse refers to type or kindโฆ Other examples include the following verses (interpretation of the meaning):
โExalted is He who created all pairs – from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.โ [Ya-Sin 36:36]
โAnd the earth – We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind.โ [Qaf 50:7]
This verse implies that every fruit has two types, and if there are more than two types of a particular fruit, that does not change the meaning of the verse.โฆ It may be said that of every fruit there is male and female.โ (Tafsir Ibn โAtiyah, 3/293)
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ก, ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐, ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ (๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ):
โAnd the earth – We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind.โ [Qaf 50:7]
Ibn Kathir said: โThat is, of all crops, fruits, plants and types.โ (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 7/396)
As-Saโdi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: โThat is, every kind of plant that is pleasant to the eye and brings delight and joy to the observer, as food for the sons of Adam and their livestock, and bringing other benefits.โ (Tafsir as-Saโdi, p. 804)
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ณ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐ฒ๐ง?ย
So zawj means type, and zawjayn means a pair of opposite types or counterparts, such as sweet and sour, fresh, and salt [referring to water]. Apples are one type, oranges are another type, and each type has its own taste and colour.
Or there may be a pair of one type, such as oranges, apples, dates, and grapes, among which are male and female, small and large, and different types of colors and tastes.
๐๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ โ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌโ
With regard to the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says: โAnd We created you in pairsโ [an-Naba 78:8], it is like the verses in which He, may He be glorified and exalted, says:
โAnd Allah has made for you wives [azwaj] of your own kind.โ [an-Nahl 16:72]
โAllah created you from dust, then from a drop of semen, then He made you pairs [male and female].โ [Fatir 35:11]
โHe has given you spouses [azwaj] of your own kind.โ [ash-Shura 42:11]
This is addressed to the children of Adam, and what is meant is: We have created you, males and females, from one type, so that each of them may find comfort in the other, so that there may be affection and compassion, which will result in offspring. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 8/302) and Tafsir as-Saโdi, p. 906)
For more about the issues related to creation, please see these answers: 13379 , 13286 and 6543 .
And Allah knows best