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The Sun of Knowledge (Shams al-Ma'arif): An Arabic Grimoire in Selected Translation
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.
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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.
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324 pages, Paperback
Published December 6, 2021
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949 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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April 23, 2023so after a long year of studying (uni finals) I finally finished a book
ended up being this one, which I only really read for research. i'm never gonna read it again, but still, it was pretty interesting
not gonna give it a rating, cos it's not that sort of book
August 10, 2023
I took a stab at this in the original Arabic and immediately gave up. This translation is a precious preservation of an obscure Arabic text made widely available in very readable English - a vitally important work of historical and religious studies scholarship. The translation notes not only do an incredible job of contextualizing a difficult text but they're fun too!
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October 9, 2022Make Read
December 2, 2022
good one for spiritiual healimg
March 23, 2025
Dont read this book. Its full of shirk ( if you a Are a muslim you know). Many people got effected in a bad way. Don’t buy, don’t read and don’t recommend. Stay away from it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews