How Can We Understand the Verse That Allah Created Everything in Pairs When Some Creatures, Like Fungi, Have Many Sexes?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
How Can We Understand the Verse That Allah Created Everything in Pairs When Some Creatures, Like Fungi, Have Many Sexes?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate. May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.
Thank you for your question.
The Verse and Its Meaning
Allah Most High says: “And of everything We created pairs, so that you might take heed.” [Quran, 51:49]
The purpose of this verse is not to establish a scientific taxonomy of all living organisms but to point to a general sign (aya) of divine wisdom and order in creation. In the natural world, most creatures exist in complementary pairs, male and female, night and day, positive and negative, etc., which is sufficient as a reminder of Allah’s power and unity.
Classical commentators such as Imam Qurtubi explained that the “pairs” can also mean contrasts and complements: life and death, health and sickness, light and darkness. Thus, the verse has a wider metaphysical meaning, not only a biological one. [Qurtubi, al-Jami‘ li-Ahkam al-Quran]
Reconciling With Modern Knowledge
Modern biology shows us that not all living things reproduce in the same way. Some fungi, for example, may have multiple mating types beyond “male” and “female.” This does not contradict the verse because:
- The Quran speaks generally, not exhaustively, pointing to a sign, not laying down a scientific classification.
- Even in such cases, reproduction still depends on complementarity (one type requires another to complete the process), which aligns with the Quranic theme of pairs.
- The Quran often uses natural imagery to invite reflection rather than detail biology. The sign remains valid: creation operates through balance, contrast, and relationship.
Practical Guidance
- Read the Quran as guidance, not a biology manual, its purpose is to direct hearts to Allah, not to catalogue every species.
- Appreciate the general principle, Allah shows us that life thrives through relationships of complementarity, whether between two sexes or multiple types.
- Use science as a lens of awe; discovering complex forms of reproduction only increases the believer’s amazement at Allah’s creative power.
I pray this helps you see how the Quran’s universal wisdom complements, rather than conflicts with, the details of scientific discovery.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
