Science in the Glorious Quran: Pairs
There are three types of plant flowers: 1) Male flower, 2) female flower and 3) the most common hermaphrodite flower which have both male and female parts. The fact of the presence of the male parts (stamens) and the female parts (pistils) of flowers were discovered around 1790, by Konrad Sprengel, though this was not given any attention during his lifetime.
However, the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, more than 1400 years ago mentions that there are pairs of plants and of creatures which we do not know (see also Qur’an, 26: 7 and 50: 7).
“سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ” (يس:36).
“Glory to Him, Who created all pairs, of what the earth produces, of themselves (humans), and of others unknown to them” (Qur’an, 36: 36).
“وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِّن نَّبَاتٍ شَتَّىٰ” (طه:53).
“… and (God) has sent down water from the sky. With it, We have produced diverse pairs of plants” (Qur’an, 20: 53).
“وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ كَرِيمٍ” (لقمان:10).
“We send down water from the sky, (in order that) We cause goodly pairs to grow out of it (of the Earth)” (Qur’an, 31: 10).
“وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ هَامِدَةً فَإِذَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ وَأَنبَتَتْ مِن كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ” (الحج:5).
“And you see the earth still; but when We send down water on it, it vibrates, and swells, and grows all kinds of delightful pairs” (Qur’an, 22:5).
In the first verse above (36: 36), God draws our attention to the existence of other creatures, which were not known to people at the time of the revelation of the Glorious Qur’an. Examples of these organisms are bacteria and fungi, which were not characterized before the invention of the microscope.
In 1946 it was discovered that bacteria can mate as pairs and exchange their genetic materials. On the other hand, sexual reproduction in fungi was discovered in 1951. Both bacteria and fungi may be considered among the unknown creatures that exist in pairs and referred to in the Qur’an revealed in the 7th century.
Pistils and stamens are the female and male parts of the flower
Male flowers of palm date tree (left). Female flowers of palm date tree (right)
Bacterial conjugation was discovered in 1946
The Qur’an revealed more than 14 centuries ago referred to the presence of unknown creatures like bacteria which exist in pairs (36:36).