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Shams al-Ma'arif

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Shams al-Ma'arif (The Book of the Sun of Gnosis)
The introduction of the Book A manuscript copy, beginning of 17th century
AuthorAhmad al-Buni
LanguageArabic
GenreOccult treatise, Grimoire
OCLC20121408
LC ClassBF1771 .B8 Arab

Shams al-Ma'arif or Shams al-Ma'arif wa Lata'if al-'Awarif[a] is a 13th-century grimoire centered on Arabic magic by Ahmad al-Buni. It is claimed to be a manual for achieving esoteric spirituality. The book is a patchwork of bits and pieces of Al-Buni's authentic works, and texts by other authors.[1] While being popular, it also carries a notorious reputation for being suppressed and banned for much of Islamic history.[2]

History

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It was written by the scholar Ahmad al-Buni who wrote it while living in Algeria; he died around 1225 CE (622 AH).[3]

Scholars like Ibn Taymiyya have criticized the book and labeled the author, Al-Buni, as a deluded devil (Shaytan) worshipper.[4][5] However, it continues to persist, and is still being read and studied in the present day, despite its questionable reputation.[4][6] Some Sufi orders, such as the Naqshbandi-Haqqani order have occasionally recognised its potential spiritual value, provided that the reader understands it.[7]

After its first modern era printing in Beirut on 1985, the government of Saudi Arabia imposed a ban on the book.[8] Ibn Jibrin, a Saudi scholar member of the Council of Senior Scholars and of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta; has issued Fatwa which forbid certain books, including the Shams al-Ma'arif.[9][10]

In the 20th and 21st century AD, Shams al-Ma'arif grew in recognition and was adopted by the Order of Nine Angles, a global terrorist Satanist organization, as one of their influences.[11] Although a translation into English has not been undertaken, 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[12][13] (also known as The Ancient Oath or Red Sulphur[14]).

In 2022 a partial English translation by Amina Inloes was published by Revelore Press as "Shams al-Ma’arif: The Sun of Knowledge An Arabic Grimoire: A selected Translation"[15]

In 2023, another English translation of the Shams al Ma'arif was published by Johann Voldemont as "Shams al-Ma'arif: Talismans and Magic Squares" which focuses primarily on the talismans and magic squares contained within the text.[16] Outside of the Arab and Western world, several editions of the book have been published in the Urdu and Turkish languages.[17][18][19]

Content

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An Algerian manuscript of the Shams al-Ma'arif from 1868, Khalili Collection of Islamic Art

In contemporary form, the book consists of two volumes, Shams Al-Ma'arif al-Kubra[b] and Shams Al-Ma'arif al-Sughra,[c] the former being the larger of the two.[20][21] 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 claims is the only way to communicate with Jinn, angels and spirits. The table of contents that was introduced in the later printed editions of the work contains a list of unnumbered chapters (faṣl), which stretch to 40. However, before the printing press and various other standardisations, there were three independent volumes that circulated, each one differing in length.[22]

Another title by the same author, namely Manba' Usul al-Hikmah "The Source of the Essentials of Wisdom", is considered its companion text.[citation needed]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Arabic: كتاب شمس المعارف ولطائف العوارف, lit. 'the Book of the Sun of Gnosis and the Subtleties of Elevated Things'
  2. ^ Arabic: شمس المعارف الكبرى
  3. ^ Arabic: شمس المعارف الصغرى
  1. ^ Gardiner, Noah (2012), Forbidden Knowledge? Notes on the production, transmission, and reception of the major works of Ahmad Al-Buni, Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies 12 (2012). University of Michigan.
  2. ^ Michael Ipgrave, Scriptures in Dialogue: Christians and Muslims Studying the Bible and the Qur'an Together, Church Publishing Inc., 2004, p. 42.
  3. ^ Owen Davies, Grimoires: A History of Magic Books, Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 27.
  4. ^ a b Gardiner, Noah (2017), Esotericist Reading Communities and the Early Circulation of the Sufi Occultist Aḥmad Al-Būnī’s Works, Arabica 64 (2017), p. 405-441.
  5. ^ "Narratives of Danger: The Sun of Knowledge in Arabic Occulture". Leidenislamblog. June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "Narratives of Danger: The Sun of Knowledge in Arabic Occulture". Leidenislamblog. June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  7. ^ "Shamsu'l-Ma'arif". eshaykh.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  8. ^ Didin Muhtadin (2023). "Kitab Syams Al Ma'arif Karya Ahmad Bin Ali Al-Buni, Benarkah Kitab Sihir Paling Berbahaya?" [The Book of Shams Al Ma'arif by Ahmad Bin Ali Al-Buni, Is It Really the Most Dangerous Book of Magic?] (in Indonesian). Bandung, East Java, Id: Pikiran Rakyat Media Network. Kolaborasi Mediapreneur Nusantara. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  9. ^ "رأي العلامة ابن جبرين في كتب ومصنفات" [The opinion of the scholar Ibn Jibrin on books and publications]. islamway.net (in Arabic). 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  10. ^ Abu Ubaidah as-Sidawi (2009). "Waspadailah Kitab-Kitab Berbahaya Berikut Ini…" [Beware of These Dangerous Books…]. abiubaidah.com (in Indonesian). Ustadz Yusuf Abu Ubaidah official. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  11. ^ Monette 2013, p. 106.
  12. ^ Nineveh Shadrach, Magic That Works: Practical Training for the Children of Light, Ishtar Publishing, 2005, p. 228.
  13. ^ Nineveh Shadrach, Ancient Magick Conjuration of Power: Beginners Guide to the Berhatiah, Ishtar Publishing, 2011.
  14. ^ Nineveh Shadrach, Magic That Works: Practical Training for the Children of Light, Ishtar Publishing, 2005, p. 48.
  15. ^ "Shams al-Ma'arif (The Sun of Knowledge)".
  16. ^ Shams al-Ma'arif:Talismans and Magic Squares. Independently published. 2023. ISBN 979-8-8626-1047-5.
  17. ^ Iqbal al-Din Ahmad, Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra Wa Lata'if al-'Awarif. Urdu, Darul Ishaat, Karachi, Pakistan: 1978.
  18. ^ Basir Ahmad Hadrat Kalianwala, Shams al-Ma'arif Lata'if al-'Awarif. Urdu Tarjama, Kutub Khana Shan-e-Islam, Lahore, Pakistan.
  19. ^ Selahattin Alpay, Sems’ül Maarif. Büyük Bilgiler Güneşi, P.K. 157 Beyazid, Istanbul 1979.
  20. ^ Shams Al-Ma‘aref al-Kubrah, Al Nour Library, Beirut, Lebanon 2006.
  21. ^ Shams Al-Ma‘aref al-Sughra, Al Nour Library, Beirut, Lebanon 2005.
  22. ^ Francis Maddison, Emilie Savage-Smith, Ralph H. Pinder-Wilson, Tim Stanley, Science, Tools And Magic Vol. 12, Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 65.

Bibliography

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  • Monette, Connell (2013). Mysticism in the 21st Century. Wilsonville, Oregon: Sirius Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-940964-00-3.
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