Shams al-Ma’arif
The Sun of Knowledge
An Arabic Grimoire: A selected Translation
by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni
Translated from the Arabic by Amina Inloes, PhD
with commentary and illustrations by J.M. Hamade
324 pages/ 6 December 2021 / color paperback: 9781947544352
For the first time in English translation, the Sun of Knowledge 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. An essential addition to your collection.
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.
Foreword
28 Stations: Travelogue by J. M. Hamade
Acknowledgments
Transliteration
Notes on the Translation
Author’s Introduction
Chapter 1: The Mysteries of the Letters
Chapter 2: Astrological Timings
Chapter 3: The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions
Chapter 4: The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac and the Planets
Chapter 5: The Secrets of Bismillāh
Chapter 6: Seclusion: The Mystics’ Discoveries
Chapter 7: The Names that Jesus Used to Raise the Dead
Chapter 8: The Four Seasons
Chapter 9: The Ring of Solomon
Chapter 10: A Miscellany of Tried-and-True Talismans
Appendices
Arabic Letters and their Numerical Values
Arabic-style Digits
Lunar Mansions
Stars and Asterisms
Zodiacal Constellations
Non-Zodiacal Constellations
Bibliography
Index
About the Translator
Amina Inloes is an Islamic theologian and academic with a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, with a special interest in esoteric theology and the uncanny. She is the author of Women in Shi‘ism: Ancient Stories, Modern Ideologies, and her translations include Spiritual Mysteries and Ethical Secrets and exegesis of the Qur’an. She has also written on the intersection between spirituality and science fiction and fantasy worlds. A gregarious introvert, she is a popular public speaker, has worked as a guide for religious pilgrims, and enjoys a good discussion on the traditional spiritual arts and the study of the stars. Often found with a cup of coffee in hand, her other interests include birds, Star Trek, and paleo baking.
About the Artist/Contributor
J.M. Hamade (starnightdwell) (they/them) is a writer, independent researcher/scholar, artist, diviner, and educator based in New York City. Their work bridges contemporary creative modalities with archaic forms of knowing, magical practice, and esotericism. The investigation and experimental application of talismanic art forms is at the forefront of their work, as well as a research and practice focus in the fields of non-European astrologies and star lore, Islamic esotericism, Afro-diaspora traditions, and the dæmonic imagination or occult roots of creativity.
Their first full length book, Procession of the Night Theatre: An Exposition on the Lunar Stations (Revelore Press 2024) follows half a decade long research into the astrologies and magics of the lunar zodiac, initiated by their co-authorship and illustration of Ahmad al-Buni’s Shams al-Ma’arif: An Arabic Grimoire in Selected Translation (Revelore Press 2021) which deals extensively with like-mysteries.
More published materials include essays, interviews, and illustrations with Hadean Press, The Mountain Astrologer, and academic publications. They have also studied and worked professionally in handicrafts as diverse as butchery, floristry, and metal engraving, receiving a BA focused in printmaking from San Francisco State University and an MFA focused on interdisciplinary arts from the City College of New York (CUNY). Additionally, Hamade has exhibited artworks and live performances focusing on ritual across the United States, as well as hosting an every now and then podcast under the name starnightdwell.
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