The Sun of Knowledge (Shams al-Ma'arif): An Arabic Grimoire in Selected Translation
Product ID: 402805130
Buy anything from 5,000+ international stores. One checkout price. No surprise fees. Join 2M+ shoppers on Desertcart.
Desertcart purchases this item on your behalf and handles shipping, customs, and support to USA.
The Sun of Knowledge ( Shams al-Ma'arif ) is one of the most revered historical grimoires of the Arabic corpus. Feared by some, hallowed by others, it is one of the most famous - or infamous - books in the Arabic-speaking and Islamicate world. Written in Egypt in the thirteenth century by a Sufi mystic and mage of Algerian origin, the Shams presents the fundamentals of Arabic-Islamic occult work - from spiritual cosmology and astrology (including various particularly lunar magics) to working with spirits and jinn, magical employment of letters and numbers, and the occult applications of the Qur'an - thereby comprising a veritable encyclopedia of Islamicate magical wisdom and formulae. Images and descriptions of amulets and talismans adorn it. Numerous beautiful manuscripts of the Sun of Knowledge have survived, various of which have been used as a basis for this present work. Never before published in English, this selected translation includes sections of the Sun of Knowledge on the mysteries of the letters, astrological timings, lunar mansions, the ancient Arab beliefs surrounding the stars, planetary matters, astronomy, the angels for and workings pertaining to the four seasons, summoning the jinn, the employment of the names of God for many and varied purposes, the construction of the famed ring of Solomon, and a miscellany of tried-and-true talismans. This selected translation takes a general approach to a much vaster text, and features illustrations, original artwork, and commentary to assist those unfamiliar with Islamic magic and culture. This edition is also ideal for any student of magic or the occult, classical Arabic astrology and astronomy, Islamic esotericism, or Sufism. Review: Good quality and well-written - At first I thought this was really overpriced, but I ordered it anyway since there were other options -- glad I did because once it arrived it was high quality and very well written, to my surprise it was definitely worth the money it was! Thank you for creating this. Review: Essential handbook for practitioners of Islamic magick - Al Buni was a Sufi and this is the thread that runs through this work. Forget about Picatrix. This is the book you need to really understand Islamic magick. I am grateful to Al Buni for writing this down and to the translators who breathed life into this work, which has become central to my own practice.
| Best Sellers Rank | #342,798 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #87 in Egyptian History (Books) #947 in Occultism #1,211 in Magic Studies (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 193 Reviews |
M**T
Good quality and well-written
At first I thought this was really overpriced, but I ordered it anyway since there were other options -- glad I did because once it arrived it was high quality and very well written, to my surprise it was definitely worth the money it was! Thank you for creating this.
D**V
Essential handbook for practitioners of Islamic magick
Al Buni was a Sufi and this is the thread that runs through this work. Forget about Picatrix. This is the book you need to really understand Islamic magick. I am grateful to Al Buni for writing this down and to the translators who breathed life into this work, which has become central to my own practice.
J**I
Not worth $60
Come to find out it is only 8 chapters of the book translated
J**N
Partial Translation
The original book is 40 chapters unfortunately this is only 10 of those chapters translated. This is not the full book but for now it will do. Hoping they translate the rest. Good info though.
B**N
Excellent
Many thanks to the authors for making this available in English. It's well organized, concise and user friendly with plenty of useful footnotes to help the reader.
N**H
Use EXTREME caution
To the believer: please proceed with upmost caution as your place is jannat can be halted by the teachings in this book. It is heavily banned in Islamic tradition to save the believer from committing the sins of black magic. Yes you can read this with good intentions, but it is Pandora's box. Shaitan's waswasa (whispers) will follow. Please avoid at all costs.
K**5
Old Arabic Believeths.
I have not had time to study the manuscript, but I am an admirer of old religious beliefs from all over the globe. The book was packaged well, arrived on time, and was new. All pages were clean and without dust. Meaning...no sneezing as I quickly flicked through the pages.
M**D
East read good book
An east read and a good book if you are into mysticism etc .
M**M
MT
Good but Arabic writing not clear
G**R
Excellent
Useful for seeker. More chapters should be translated and published
F**A
Una verdadera Joya.
El trabajo de la Dra. Amina Inloes es verdaderamente expectacular. Se agradece ampliamente. Para todos los estudiosos de Ali al-Buni y del esoterismo árabe este es un libro imprescindible y que debe de ser tratado con respeto y cuidado. Espero que pueda continuar con la traducción del libro completo; en este ejemplar sólo vienen 10 capítulos.
J**5
Great but not as evil as people claim
I think the book us incomplete. It’s not entirely clear how to summon jinn and I feel there’s a better version out there. A lot of good information, but there are better books
M**Y
Just stunning
“It’s crazy how people tell you all these scary things, and you just believe them. This book is deeply spiritual, and nothing can happen without God’s consent. I want everyone to know that it includes both beginner-friendly and advanced workings. You’ll naturally understand what you can and cannot do because it won’t be clear to you otherwise.”
Trustpilot
3 days ago
4 days ago