Author | Ahmad al-Buni |
---|---|
Language | Arabic |
Genre | Occult treatise, Grimoire |
OCLC | 20121408 |
LC Class | BF1771 .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 and claimed to be a manual for achieving esoteric spirituality. It was written by the scholar Ahmad al-Buni who wrote it while living in Algeria; he died around 1225 CE (622 AH).[1] The book is a patchwork of bits and pieces of Al-Buni's authentic works, and texts by other authors.[2] Scholars like the proto-Salafi ibn Taymiyya have criticized the book and labeled Al-Buni as a deluded devil(Shaytan)worshipper.[3][4][relevant?]
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.[5][6] 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, Dark 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.[7]
While being popular, it also carries a notorious reputation for being suppressed and banned for much of Islamic history.[8] However, it continues to persist, in being read and studied up to the present day, despite its questionable veracity and negative implications.[9][10] Some Sufi orders, such as the Naqshbandi-Haqqani order have occasionally recognised its potential spiritual value, provided that the reader understands it.[11]
Another title by the same author, namely Manba' Usul al-Hikmah "The Source of the Essentials of Wisdom", is considered its companion text.
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