Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

Multiple verses in the Holy Qur’an explicitly refer to plants having “pairs” or sexes, a concept of sexual reproduction in botany that was scientifically confirmed centuries after the Qur’anic revelation. This comprehensive commentary examines key verses – including Qur’an 13:3, 20:53, 22:5, 31:10, 36:36, and 92:3 – that highlight gender or pairing in the plant kingdom. We explore the scientific meaning of these verses in light of modern botany, the philosophical implications of nature’s dualities, and the theological significance as signs of divine wisdom. We also relate these verses to a notable incident in Prophet Muhammad’s life concerning date-palm pollination, illustrating the Prophet’s distinction between divine revelation and fallible human knowledge. Furthermore, we trace the history of how plant sexual reproduction was discovered in science (notably in the 17th century), reflecting on how the Qur’an anticipated these insights. Throughout, we integrate perspectives from contemporary Quranic commentary – particularly the works of Zia H. Shah MD – who links Quranic signs in nature with faith in God. The discussion culminates in a thematic epilogue, reinforcing how the harmony between scripture and science can enrich belief and underscore the Qur’an’s miraculous wisdom.

Quranic Verses on Plant Gender and Reproduction

The Qur’an frequently reminds its readers that the diversity of plant life is created in pairs – a remarkable reference to sexual differentiation in plants. For example, Surah Ar-Ra‘d (13:3) states that God “created fruits of every kind in pairs (two sexes)” thequran.love. Likewise, Surah Ṭā-Hā (20:53) proclaims that Allah “sent down water from the sky” and brought forth “pairs of plants, each separate from the other” thequran.love. In a similar vein, Surah Al-Ḥajj (22:5) observes that after rain revives barren ground, it produces “every magnificent pair of plants” thequran.love. Surah Luqmān (31:10) reiterates that “We caused to grow on the earth every noble pair (of plants)” thequran.love. This theme is not limited to plants alone: the Qur’an teaches that pairing is a universal principle. Surah Yā-Sīn (36:36) exclaims, “Glory be to Him Who created all the pairs – of what the earth produces, of their own (human) kind, and of things they do not know” thequran.love. And in Surah Al-Layl (92:3), Allah swears “by the One Who created the male and the female” – underscoring that biological sex (in humans and by extension other creatures) is a deliberate divine creation quran.com. Each of these verses uses the Arabic term zauj (plural azwāj), meaning a pair or spouse, to describe elements of the natural world, strongly implying the existence of male and female counterparts in botanical life just as in animals and humans thequran.love.

From a scientific perspective, the Qur’an’s insistence on plant “pairs” is astute. We now know that flowering plants reproduce through male and female organs – stamens (pollen-producing parts) and pistils or ovules (egg-containing parts) – often found within the same flower or on separate male and female plants. Fertilization (pollination) must occur for fruits and seeds to form in most species. In other words, “all fruit therefore implies the existence of male and female organs”, as one scholar of religion and science has noted, and “this is the meaning of the verse” like Qur’an 13:3 which mentions fruits in pairs thequran.love. The Qur’an exclusively highlights this sexual method of plant reproduction – “the only form… mentioned in the Quran” thequran.love – while not explicitly discussing asexual propagation (such as cuttings or runners). This selectivity is striking: it zeroes in on the biologically precise sense of reproduction (involving new genetic individuals from male-female combination) centuries before human observers understood the ubiquity of plant sexes thequran.love. Indeed, as French physician Maurice Bucaille pointed out, farmers in antiquity knew of some practical aspects (for example, that date palms needed manual pollination), but lacked a generalized concept of plant gender across all species thequran.love thequran.love. The Qur’an’s repeated reference to zauj in plants brilliantly anticipated what later generations would only discover through systematic science: that sexual reproduction is pervasive in the plant kingdom, not just in animals.

Furthermore, the Quranic verses link this botanical pairing with the cycle of life-giving water. Verses 20:53 and 22:5, for instance, connect rainfall to the proliferation of plant pairs – an observation consistent with ecology. Rain transforms dry, “dead” earth into a green expanse teeming with vegetation, as dormant seeds germinate and blossoms emerge. Modern science affirms how rainfall triggers plant reproduction: in deserts, for example, a sudden downpour can lead to an eruption of plant growth as seeds awaken and quickly flower, completing their pollination cycles in a brief window thequran.love. The Qur’an encapsulated this process in eloquent imagery: “You see the earth lifeless, yet when We send down water it stirs and swells, and produces every kind of splendid pair of plants” thequran.love. In Qur’anic theology, this natural resurrection of the soil is not only a botanical wonder but also a sign of divine wisdom and mercy. By coupling water with the emergence of plant pairs, the scripture implies an integrated design – that Allah set in motion a world where water, soil, and the dual components of plants work together to propagate life. Ultimately, as the verse concludes, “Therein, indeed, are Signs for a people who reflect.”

The Prophet’s Lesson in Date-Palm Pollination

A date palm tree bearing clusters of dates. The historical context of seventh-century Arabia helps us appreciate how revolutionary the Qur’an’s statements about plant sexes were. In Arabia, it was known that date palm trees required human assistance to pollinate: farmers would manually transfer pollen from male palm trees to female trees’ flowers to ensure a good crop. Yet, even this practical know-how was limited to certain plants and was not understood in terms of a broader botanical principle. A famous incident from Prophet Muhammad’s life highlights this point. Upon arriving in Medina – a region of abundant date palms – the Prophet observed farmers climbing palm trunks to pollinate the trees. He innocently suggested that perhaps they need not bother with this task. The farmers, taking his advice, refrained from pollinating that year, but the result was a poor date harvest. When they reported this outcome, the Prophet responded with humility, effectively saying: “I am only human. If I advise you on worldly matters (such as farming) based on my personal opinion, then you know your worldly affairs better; but if I tell you something about your religion, then follow it.” thequran.love. This narration (found in collections like Sahih Muslim) shows that Prophet Muhammad did not claim agronomic expertise and did not possess miraculous knowledge of agriculture beyond the folk practices of his time. He distinguished clearly between divine revelation and his own fallible opinions in technical matters.

Crucially, this story underscores that the concept of universal plant sexuality was not common knowledge in the Prophet’s day. If anything, the Prophet’s personal misjudgment in date-palm pollination underscores that he spoke as a layperson in botany, not as a plant scientist. As one modern commentator notes, “The Prophet had no knowledge of pairs, gametes or twosomes in nature, other than what was common knowledge. If he were the writer of the Quran, he had no need or purpose to introduce a random and apparently meaningless subject [like pairs in plants].” thequran.love In light of this, the Qur’anic verses about plant pairs stand out as remarkably prescient. They introduced an idea that had little practical utility to a 7th-century Arab farmer, yet proved to be profoundly accurate in light of later scientific discovery. This strongly suggests (as the Prophet himself would affirm) that such knowledge in the Qur’an was not from the Prophet’s own mind, but from a higher, divine source – “from Him who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth” thequran.love. The incident of the pollination advice thus becomes a powerful illustration of the Islamic principle that worldly knowledge can come from human experience and inquiry, whereas the Qur’an’s role is to provide guidance – often with insights that transcend the era in which it was revealed.

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