In Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle), Allah describes the creative power that animates the plant world:
"Indeed, Allah is the cleaver of grain and date seed. He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living. That is Allah; so how are you deluded?" (Al-An'am 6:95)
This verse evokes the phenomenon of germination, by which an apparently inert seed gives rise to a living plant.
Germination: from seed to plant
Germination is the process by which a seed, under favorable conditions (water, temperature, oxygen), emerges from dormancy and gives rise to a new plant.
The seed contains a plant embryo, nutrient reserves (starch, proteins, lipids) and a protective envelope. During germination, the embryo draws on these reserves to develop and pierce the envelope, giving rise to the radicle (root) then the plumule (stem).
This process, described in the Quran as "bringing the living out of the dead," is now perfectly understood by modern botany.
The discovery of the plant cell
Modern botany began with the invention of the microscope in the 17th century. Robert Hooke first observed cells in 1665, and advances in microscopy made it possible to understand the internal structure of seeds and plants.
The discovery of photosynthesis, in the 18th century, revealed how plants transform light energy into chemical energy, producing the oxygen and organic matter necessary for life on Earth.
Seed dormancy
A remarkable aspect of seeds is their capacity for dormancy: certain seeds can remain alive for years, even centuries, in a state of slowed life, before germinating when conditions become favorable.
This capacity of seeds to "wait" for the right moment illustrates the power of life contained in these apparently inert structures — a reality that resonates with the Quranic description of the "living brought out of the dead."
A sign of creative power
Verse 6:95 invites contemplation of the cycle of plant life — the seed that germinates, the plant that produces new seeds — as a sign of Allah's creative power. Modern science, by elucidating the mechanisms of germination, only confirms the accuracy of this description.