In Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:49), the Quran declares: "And of all things We created two mates; perhaps you will remember" (ููู ูู ููููู ุดูููุกู ุฎูููููููุง ุฒูููุฌููููู ููุนููููููู ู ุชูุฐููููุฑูููู).
The Arabic term zawjayn (ุฒูููุฌููููู) means "two elements in a pair". This verse affirms that everything in creation exists in pairs.
The discovery of antimatter
In 1928, physicist Paul Dirac theoretically predicted the existence of antimatter. In 1932, Carl Anderson experimentally discovered the positron, the antiparticle of the electron. Since then, particle physics has confirmed that every particle has a corresponding antiparticle.
When a particle meets its antiparticle, they annihilate each other, releasing pure energy (E=mcยฒ).
The universal scope of the verse
Verse 51:49 uses the expression "of all things" (ููู ูู ููููู ุดูููุกู), indicating that creation in pairs is universal. Modern physics confirms this duality at several levels: at the subatomic level (particles and antiparticles), at the atomic level (positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons), at the cosmic level (matter and antimatter), and at the biological level (male and female).
Surah Ya-Sin (36:36) adds: "Exalted is He who created all pairs - from what the earth grows, and from themselves, and from that which they do not know" (ุณูุจูุญูุงูู ุงูููุฐูู ุฎููููู ุงููุฃูุฒูููุงุฌู ูููููููุง ู ูู ููุง ุชููุจูุชู ุงููุฃูุฑูุถู ููู ููู ุฃููููุณูููู ู ููู ูู ููุง ููุง ููุนูููู ูููู).
This mention of "that which they do not know" (ู ูู ููุง ููุง ููุนูููู ูููู) is remarkable: it suggests that humans would discover pairs in domains still unknown at the time of revelation, which was realized with the discovery of antimatter in the 20th century.