While a complete, unabridged English translation of the entire Shams al-Ma'arif does not yet exist, a landmark publication was released by Revelore Press: This is arguably the most important English work on the subject to date.
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The text includes formulas that critics argue call upon jinn, angels, or spiritual entities rather than relying solely on God.
It was a text whispered about in academic corridors and feared in rural villages. Written in the 13th century by the Sufi mystic Ahmad al-Buni, it was arguably the most famous manual of Islamic occultism ever written. It was a labyrinth of magic squares, talismans, and incantations meant to bridge the gap between man and the divine.
Al-Buni was a master of mathematical grids where rows, columns, and diagonals add up to the same number. These squares were filled with numbers or letters representing divine names and were used as protective talismans.
Ahmad al-Buni (died around 1225 CE) was a deeply religious Sufi mystic. He did not view his work as "black magic" or dark sorcery. Instead, al-Buni and his contemporaries looked at these practices as a form of sacred science—a hidden, deeper understanding of the universe that allowed human beings to interact directly with the divine order.
Despite its deeply spiritual foundations, Shams al-Ma'arif has faced fierce opposition throughout history, leading to bans in various parts of the Muslim world. 1. The Fine Line Between Mysticism and Magic