This is not just about men and women, who have been created in pairs as spouses. The Quran explicitly states that everything in this world has been created in a similar paired form. Thus, everything exists in pairs, except for those things that have been created as a complement or completion to one of these pairs. If a person reflects deeply, they can observe this principle of pairing in every aspect of creation: whether it is soul and matter, plants and animals, humanity, or even the chapters of the Quran. This principle of pairing is evident throughout God’s creations.
Even in the basic composition of matter, the relationship and system of positive and negative electrical energy is what proves to be consequential. And it doesn’t stop there. Moving further, one observes that individuals are linked with society, labor is connected with capital, causes are paired with their effects, forces with their tools, natures with intentions, and even souls are paired with their bodies in this way. Hence, it has been said:
And We have created everything in pairs so that you may receive a reminder; (Al-Dhariyat 51:59)
The point is that when everything in this world exists in pairs and expresses its significance in this paired state, then the world itself also requires a counterpart that makes it a purposeful and meaningful entity. The Quran, which proclaims the reality of the Hereafter, presents this as an argument for its necessity. There is no doubt that the Quran has drawn attention to this truth with
وَمِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
this very purpose in mind. However, if one reflects further, another reality naturally becomes evident: that even in their worldly life, the aim of all human endeavors should be to identify the pairs of everything—every thought, every action, every idea—and then to discern in what sense they form pairs, what aspects of contradiction or harmony exist between them, and how they align with one another to give rise to new pairs.
In the mutual relationship between men and women that gives rise to society, understanding this principle of pairing is essential. The politics that emerge from the relationship between the individual and society also demand this understanding. Similarly, the economy that results from the interplay of labor and capital depends on grasping this principle.
This is not a dialectical process as some philosophers have claimed to have discovered. Rather, it is the inherent demand within a pair for its complement, which compels them to form a union as pairs. In this process, contradictions lead to harmony, and harmony gives rise to new contradictions, thereby continually creating new pairs.
This is the very nature of the world. Without understanding this principle, any attempt to formulate a theory of knowledge or action will inevitably result in extremism. Socialism, Communism, Fascism, and now Feminism are all examples of this. A study of various schools of philosophy reveals the same tendency. From this, it becomes clear that the beauty of life lies in balance, and this balance is achieved only when we view things not as isolated entities but as parts of pairs. We must then comprehend the nature of the relationship between these pairs and strive to interact with them accordingly.
This is true knowledge, which leads humanity to success and prosperity in both this world and the Hereafter. God’s Shariah has been revealed with this very knowledge. Accordingly, it has been stated that when your Lord created this universe, He established balance (mīzān) within it so that people too may uphold balance within their sphere of responsibility.
The command for believers to establish justice (qiyām bil-qisṭ), which the Quran regards as an essential requirement of faith, is a practical expression of this guidance:
And He raised high the sky and placed the balance in it so that you too [in your circle of authority] should not transgress that balance. And weigh justly, and do not measure less. (Al- Rahman 7-9)
وَٱلسَّمَآءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ ٱلْمِيزَانَ أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْمِيزَانِ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلْوَزْنَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا۟ ٱلْمِيزَانَ