Reality of Creation-existence in pairs

                  

Allah has created everything in pairs. This reality has been described in Quran which states: “And of all things We created two mates; perhaps you will remember” (al-dhariat-49). “And He Who created pairs (azwaj) of all things, and made for you of the ships and the cattle what you ride on” (al-zhkhruf-12).

From these verses, it is evident that Allah has created everything in pairs.

It means plants, animals, human beings, waters, all natural forces, all natural laws, all ideas and practices, all emotions,  - all exist in pairs. This reality has been discovered in respect of some creations like plants, waters, and some natural forces, but it is yet to be discovered in respect of other creations.

Quran states about pairs of earth forces, rivers, fruits, and day and night, as is mentioned in the verse given below.

“And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein set of burdens (rawasi) and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought” (rad-3).

The word ‘rawasi’ used in this verse is a plural form and may be used to denote a set of two burdens; these burdens placed in earth are actually pairs of forces acting in the earth. One such pair is force of gravity and the force of repulsion - one acting towards the earth, and the other acting away from the earth. Similarly we know existence of pair of centripetal and centrifugal forces; nuclear forces- responsible for uniting an atom and breaking it- also exist in pair. Forces causing action and reaction also exist in pair. According to this verse, waters also exist in pair; we know existence of salty water and sweet water. All fruits also exist in pairs; this fact is yet to be discovered. And day is paired with night and vice-versa.

Quran also states about pairs in vegetation/ plants, as is mentioned in the following verse.

“……you see the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs)” (al-hajj-5).

The existence of natural laws in pair is also evident from the fact that fire, which normally always burns, did not burn Hazrat Ibrahim (as); it means laws relating to fire exists in pair; one law through which fire burns; and the second law through which fire does not burn. Similarly it is a scientific notion that universe contains matter as well as anti-matter; both have contradictory laws.

Quran states about pair of jannah: “But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two “jannahs” (al-rahman-46).

Quran also mentions about pairs of animals and human beings. It may be noted that pairs of everything stated in sura al-dhariat-49, and sura al-zukhruf-12, mentioned above, are not essentially sexual pairs (male and female); we know that some creatures e.g. some unicellular organisms do not have sexual pairs; such organisms reproduce asexually. It means pairs mentioned in these verses are not essentially sexual pairs in case of animals / humans, rather they may be non-sexual mates/ pairs, as is the case with natural forces, waters etc. explained above. Human pair is also not sexual pair (male and female). In other words, every human/ person exists in the form of a pair; the pair of human body is his/ her soul.

Human being exists in the form of a pair of body and soul. Quran states: “He created you from one soul. Then He appointed from it(soul) its mate/pair (al-zumar-6).

From this verse it is clear that human body is created on the pattern of its soul, and then that body is appointed mate/pair of that soul. (it may be noted that man does have sexual pair but that is mentioned in other verses, not in this verse). In this verse, Allah is addressing whole mankind, and saying that every person of this mankind has been created out of a single ‘nafs/soul’; that single ‘nafs’ must not be taken as Hazrat Adam. The sequence of verse is that first Allah created us out of single ‘nafs’, and then made a pair/mate of that single ‘nafs’; if that single ‘nafs’ is Hazrat Adam, it would mean that first Allah created us out of Hazrat Adam and then made a pair/mate of him. It would means we have been created out of Hazrat Adam before his having a wife/mate. Therefore logically we can’t take the words ‘single nafs’ as referring to Hazrat Adam. Moreover,  the addressee of this verse is whole mankind including Hazrat Adam; in other words, Allah is telling, in this verse, about the creation of whole mankind including Hazrat Adam, and Allah is saying everyone of mankind has been created out of a single ‘nafs’; that single ‘nafs’ is human soul. In this verse word ‘nafs’ has been used with meaning of ‘human soul’. 

In Quran, at other places too, this word ‘nafs’ has been used in the meaning of ‘human soul’. For instance sura al-naziat-40 states:  “But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul (nafs) from [unlawful] inclination” (al-naziat-40).

Similarly sura qaf states: “And every soul (nafs) will come, with it a driver and a witness” (qaf-21).  In this verse too, word ‘nafs’ means soul; the driver is human body through which soul acts obediently or disobediently, and in this way human body carries human soul to its destination/ station- good or bad station.

Similarly al-anam states: “And it is He who produced you from one soul (nafs) and [gave you] a place of dwelling and repository. We have detailed the signs for a people who understand” (al-anam-98).

The place of dwelling for soul, mentioned in this verse, is human body; and repository will be the final station of soul; in other words, soul rests in human body for doing deeds, and those deeds determine soul’s final destination.

From all these verses quoted above, it is clear that human being is created out of a single nafs; that ‘single nafs’ can’t be referred to Hazrat Adam; that ‘single nafs’ is human soul. (it does not mean that human beings have not been created out of Hazrat Adam; surely they have been, but that fact is mentioned in other Quranic verses, not in these verses quoted above).

In fact, every human body is created out of its soul and then is appointed mate/ pair of such soul; every human body is a true reflection of its soul; human body contains all the characteristics embedded in its soul. The greater a human body actualizes these characteristics, the more it functions like a soul. Depending upon the level of actualization, a human body can be weightless like a soul; it can fly in the air like a soul (as our Aulia Allah do); it can travel with immeasurable speed like a soul; it can see beyond the limits of ordinary human sight as a soul can do; it can be so refined like soul that no shadow of it can be formed (Hazrat Muhammad’s (saw) body had no shadow).  Human body always acts according to dictation of its soul; if the soul gives good direction, the human body acts in good way; if the soul gives bad direction, the human body acts accordingly.  That is why when a human body expires, its soul is rewarded or punished according to human body’s actions. It is a misconception that soul always leads towards Allah; if it were so, why it should be punished for bad deeds of human body?

After death, but before Judgment Day, human soul is rewarded or punished for the good or bad deeds done by it through the human body; this intervening span of time period includes reward or punishment of grave. When the Judgment Day would come, human body will be resurrected and its soul will be combined to it as it is combined in this worldly life. This fact is described in sura al-takveer-7 which states about Judgment Day:

“And when the souls are paired”.

In this verse too, word ‘nafoos’ means souls; this verse tells us about the union of souls with their respective bodies.

We may conclude that Allah has created everything in pairs. All creatures including natural laws, natural forces, animals, plants, human beings, human ideas and practices exist in pairs. The pair of human being is its soul. This fact has been discovered by scientists in respect of some creatures; but it is yet to be discovered in respect of remaining creatures.