Shams al-Ma'arif

Shams al-Ma'arif or Shams al-Ma'arif wa Lata'if al-'Awarif (Arabic: ‫كتاب شمس المعارف ولطائف العوارف‬‎,
lit. 'the Book of the Sun of Gnosis and the Subtleties of Elevated Things') is a 13th-century
grimoire written on Arabic magic and a manual for achieving esoteric spirituality. It was written
by The Algerian scholar Ahmad al-Buni who wrote it while living in Ayyubid Egypt, he died around
1225 CE (622 AH). The Shams al-Ma'arif is generally regarded as the most influential textbook of
its type in the Arab world,[1] and is arguably as important as, if not more than, the Picatrix in both
hemispheres.
 Shams al-Ma'arif (The Book of the Sun of Gnosis)

A manuscript copy, beginning of 17th century

Author Ahmad al-Buni

Country Algeria

Language Arabic

Genre Occult treatise, Grimoire

OCLC 20121408 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/20121

408)

LC Class BF1771 .B8 Arab

In contemporary form the book consists of two volumes; Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra and Shams al-
Ma'arif al-Sughra, the former being the larger of the two.[2][3] The first few chapters introduce the
reader to magic squares, and the combination of numbers and the alphabet that are believed to
bring magical effect, which the author insists is the only way to communicate with jinn, angels
and spirits. The table of contents that were introduced in the later printed editions of the work
contain a list of unnumbered chapters (faṣl), which stretch to a number of 40. However, prior to
the printing press and various other standardisations, there were three independent volumes
that circulated, each one differing in length.[4]
While being popular, it also carries a reputation for being suppressed and banned for much of
Islamic history,[5] but still flourishes in being read and studied up to the present day. Many Sufi
orders, such as the Naqshbandi-Haqqani order have recognised its legitimacy and use as a
compendium for the occult, and hold it in high regard.[6]

Another title by the same author, namely Manba' Usool al-Hikmah ("The Source of the Essentials
of Wisdom"), is considered its companion text.

Translations

Although full-volume translations into English are not known, there have been numerous
renditions of a few of the more popular rituals found within the main treatise, as well as those
that lie in its accompanying text. Some of these rituals have had various degrees of notability,
but one of recurring presence in many publications is that of the Birhatiya[7][8][9] (also known as
The Ancient Oath or Red Sulphur[10]).

Outside of the Arab and Western world, several editions of the book have been published in the
Urdu and Turkish languages.[11][12][13]

See also

Alchemy and chemistry in Islam

Islamic astrology

Ruhaniyya

Notes

1. Owen Davies, Grimoires: A History of Magic Books, Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 27

2. Shamsu al-Ma‘aref al-Kubrah, Al Nour Library, Beirut, Lebanon: 2006.

3. Shamsu al-Ma‘aref al-Sughra, Al Nour Library, Beirut, Lebanon: 2005.

4. Francis Maddison, Emilie Savage-Smith, Ralph H. Pinder-Wilson, Tim Stanley, Science, Tools And Magic
Vol. 12, Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 65

5. Michael Ipgrave, Scriptures in Dialogue: Christians and Muslims Studying the Bible and the Qur'an
Together, Church Publishing Inc, 2004, p. 42
 6. "Shamsu'l-Ma`arif" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111023182733/http://eshaykh.com/halal_haram/sha
msul-maarif) . eshaykh.com. Archived from the original (http://eshaykh.com/halal_haram/shamsul-m
aarif/) on October 23, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2011.

7. Wahid Azal, The Birhatiya Conjuration Oath & the meaning of its first 28 names, N.U.R.-Fatimiya Sufi
Order, 2008

8. Nineveh Shadrach, Magic That Works: Practical Training for the Children of Light, Ishtar Publishing, 2005,
p. 228

9. Nineveh Shadrach, Ancient Magick Conjuration of Power: Beginners Guide to the Berhatiah, Ishtar
Publishing, 2011

10. Nineveh Shadrach, Magic That Works: Practical Training for the Children of Light, Ishtar Publishing, 2005,
p. 48

11. Iqbal al-Din Ahmad, Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra Wa Lata'if al-'Awarif. Urdu, Darul Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan:
1978.

12. Basir Ahmad Hadrat Kalianwala, Shams al-Ma'arif Lata'if al-'Awarif. Urdu Tarjama, Kutub Khana Shan-e-
Islam, Lahore, Pakistan.

13. Selahattin Alpay, Sems’ül Maarif. Büyük Bilgiler Güneşi, P.K. 157 Beyazid, Istanbul: 1979.

External links

Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra wa Lataifu al-Avarif ( (http://digitaloccultmanuscripts.blogspot.co

m/2008/08/shemsu-al-ma-wa-lataifu-al-avarif-gold.html) Arabic: ‫مخطوط شمس المعارف الكبرى‬‎)

Partial Translation in Spanish and First Comparative Edition by Jaime Coullaut Cordero (from
Universidad de Salamanca) (https://archive.org/details/al-buni/)

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