A digital collection of Arabic occult manuscripts including Al-Buni's work. Scribd Digital Collection
The full title, Shams al-Ma'arif wa Lata'if al-'Awarif (The Sun of Knowledge and the Subtleties of Gnosis), distinguishes it as a work of ( ma'rifah )—experiential mystical knowledge—rather than just academic study. It is a massive compilation that covers:
High-quality digitized manuscript of the "Kubra" (Greater) version. NYU Digital Library The first major English translation ( The Sun of Knowledge ). Amazon (Revelore Press) Manuscript Copy shams al maarif pdf top
Complex mathematical grids used to attract protection, wealth, or love.
While traditionally credited to (d. 1225), modern historians like Jean-Charles Coulon suggest the text may be pseudepigraphic , meaning it was likely compiled over centuries by various authors working in the "Bunian" tradition. Regardless of its origin, its influence persists across North Africa and the Middle East, where it remains a foundational text for folk healers and students of the occult. A digital collection of Arabic occult manuscripts including
Accessible version for South Asian practitioners and scholars. Marfat Library
The book exists in a "liminal space" between Sufi mysticism and forbidden sorcery ( sihr ). NYU Digital Library The first major English translation
In countries with strict interpretations of Islamic law, such as Saudi Arabia, possession of the book is often illegal . Historical Significance and Authorship
The belief that Arabic letters and numbers possess inherent spiritual power.