New York, NY - What if science didn’t contradict faith, but quietly pointed to it? That question sits at the heart of Seeing the Unseen: A Scientific Justification for Belief in the Unseen, a new work by Dr. Yumna Jafri, a New York-based physician who has spent her career treating underserved and immigrant communities.
Published in 2025, the book invites readers to consider belief in the Unseen (Al-Ghaib), a core Islamic concept, through the lens of neuroscience and natural patterns. Drawing on functional MRI research, cognitive psychology, and Quranic structure, Dr. Jafri suggests that modern science may not disprove faith but rather deepen its understanding.
“I wanted to write something that bridges what people often see as two separate worlds,” Dr. Jafri explained. “Faith doesn’t have to stand in opposition to reason. In many ways, it’s the framework that makes reason meaningful.”
The project, which grew out of reflections shared in a virtual Quran Study Circle that Dr. Jafri has hosted for nearly a decade, gradually evolved into a structured exploration of how brain function, perception, and emotion intersect with spirituality. One example: the book discusses how acts of charity and gratitude trigger dopamine release in the brain, reinforcing cycles of empathy and detachment from materialism, a concept mirrored in the Islamic principle of Zuhd.
Beyond neuroscience, Seeing the Unseen looks at mathematical and structural parallels in nature and the Quran, such as fractal design and ring composition. These patterns, Dr. Jafri argues, hint at an underlying unity in creation, which she calls “a divine symmetry too consistent to be random.”
The work also delves into theological ideas such as Qadr (Divine Decree) and Tawakkul (trust in God), connecting them to neurological “pre-wiring” and genetic blueprints that shape human temperament and life outcomes.
“The point isn’t to prove the unseen,” she said. “It’s to show that the limits of our perception make room for it. Once you accept that, the tension between science and belief starts to dissolve.”
The book closes by examining Quranic descriptions of Judgment Day through scientific principles, including astrophysics, entropy, and the natural cycles of decay and renewal. It’s a blend of theology, psychology, and quiet wonder, written for readers who question both extremes: blind faith and blind skepticism.
A big topic for a slim book. But that’s part of its charm: concise, accessible, and open-ended enough to invite reflection rather than argument.
About the Author
Dr. Yumna Jafri holds an AB from Princeton University and an MD from the University of Michigan. She has dedicated her medical career to serving immigrant and underserved populations in New York City. Outside of her practice, she leads a virtual Quran Study Circle and enjoys family life with her husband, three children, and, by her own admission, a “reprehensible” cat.
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