The Arabic occult tradition is one of the most sophisticated bodies of operative knowledge ever assembled. It spans ten centuries, drew on Hellenistic, Persian, Indian, and Neoplatonist sources, and produced texts of stunning technical complexity — texts that shaped the Picatrix, the Western grimoire tradition, and living magical lineages still active today across North Africa, West Africa, and South Asia. And for most of that time, it was functionally inaccessible to anyone who did not read medieval Arabic.

That has changed. Since 2024, a wave of serious translations has made more of this tradition available in English than at any point in history. But the picture is still fragmented: some texts exist as complete scholarly translations, others as partial versions of uncertain quality, and still others only in expensive academic editions never intended for general readers. If you want to know what is actually available — not what you read about on a forum, not what was promised in a Kickstarter that never shipped — this is the guide.

How to Use This Guide

This list covers only translations from Arabic primary sources. It excludes secondary literature (books about Arabic magic), modern reconstructions that do not translate a specific manuscript, and Latin intermediary texts like Agrippa's Occult Philosophy that were influenced by Arabic sources without translating them directly. Each entry notes the publisher, the scope (complete vs. partial), and the access format.

The distinction between complete and partial matters enormously. A partial translation can be useful, but it cannot substitute for the full text, and in a tradition where operative instructions often depend on context established earlier in the manuscript, a partial translation may actively mislead.

The Landscape: Who Is Publishing Arabic Occult Texts in English?

Before the list, it is worth understanding the publishers involved and what they are doing.

John Friend Publishing

John Friend Publishing is currently the most prolific source of Arabic occult primary texts in English translation. As of 2026, fifteen titles are available — seven from the al-Buni corpus and eight from related Islamicate occult manuscripts. These are direct translations from Arabic, not adaptations or summaries, and they cover the full range of the tradition: letter science (‘ilm al-huruf), magic squares (awfaq), divine names, planetary spirits, jinn conjuration, talismanic construction, and protective amulets. Available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover; most titles are free with Kindle Unlimited.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn published John Michael Greer and Christopher Warnock's translation of the Picatrix in 2011 — still the most widely available English translation of that pivotal text. The Greer/Warnock translation works from the Latin Picatrix rather than the Arabic original (Ghayat al-Hakim), which means it reflects a medieval Latin reworking rather than the source itself. Valuable, but a step removed from the Arabic.

Revelore Press

Revelore Press has published Draja Mickaharic's partial treatment of the Shams al-Ma'arif tradition — a practitioner-focused interpretation rather than a direct scholarly translation. Revelore also published Joseph Peterson's important work on related Solomonic materials. The press occupies a middle ground between academic and practical publishing, and its Arabic-adjacent offerings, while interesting, are selective rather than comprehensive.

Brill Academic Publishers

Brill publishes the most rigorous academic scholarship on Arabic occultism, including monographs by Liana Saif, Jean-Charles Coulon, and others who have produced foundational research on al-Buni and his corpus. Brill titles are, however, priced for institutional library subscriptions — typically $150 to $300 per volume — and are analytical studies rather than primary text translations. Essential for scholars; practically inaccessible for general readers.

Inner Traditions / Park Street Press

Inner Traditions has published several titles touching the Arabic occult tradition, most notably Dan Attrell and David Porreca's 2019 Picatrix: A Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic — a translation working from both the Latin and Arabic manuscripts. This is a significant scholarly contribution, though the focus is on the Picatrix specifically rather than the broader Arabic corpus.

The Complete List: Arabic Occult Manuscripts in English

The Picatrix (Ghayat al-Hakim, 10th–11th c.)

The Picatrix is the text through which most Western readers encounter the Arabic astrological magic tradition. Written in Arabic as Ghayat al-Hakim (The Goal of the Wise), it was translated into Latin in the 13th century at the court of Alfonso X of Castile, and it was the Latin version that circulated through Renaissance Europe and influenced Agrippa, Ficino, and the Western grimoire tradition. Two serious English translations now exist. The Greer/Warnock translation (Llewellyn, 2011) works from the Latin. The Attrell/Porreca translation (Inner Traditions, 2019) engages the Arabic source more directly and is currently the scholarly standard. Status: Complete translation available.

Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra (The Great Sun of Gnosis, attr. Ahmad al-Buni, 13th c.)

The most famous text in the entire Arabic occult tradition — 40 chapters covering letter science, magic squares, divine names, lunar mansions, planetary correspondences, and talismanic construction. John Friend Publishing's translation (818 pages) is the first complete English rendering of the standard 40-chapter text. No other complete English translation exists. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

Suns of Lights and the Great Treasures of Secrets (Shams al-Anwar, Ibn al-Hajj al-Tilmsani, 1327 CE)

Written in 1327 CE by Ibn al-Hajj al-Tilmsani, a scholar working directly within the al-Buni lineage, the Shams al-Anwar is the closest complete successor text to the Shams al-Ma'arif. Its very title signals the relationship. It covers the 99 Beautiful Names of God, magic squares from the 3×3 to the 7×7 planetary forms, the seven planetary spirits with their timing and incenses, and the operative letter science. John Friend Publishing's translation is the first English rendering. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

Kitab al-Ajnas: The Book of the Races (attr. Asif ibn Barkhiya)

One of the foundational Solomonic grimoires of the Arabic tradition, attributed to Asif ibn Barkhiya — the legendary vizier of Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) who moved the throne of Bilqis in the blink of an eye. The text catalogues the races of jinn, their hierarchies, and the operative procedures for working with them, with voces magicae preserved exactly from the manuscript and talismanic seals reproduced from the source. John Friend Publishing's translation (362 pages) is the first complete English version. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

The Book of the Prophet Daniel (Kitab Danyal al-Nabi)

Islamic folk astronomy, zodiacal astrology, Abjad calendrical calculations, celestial prognostication, and traditional medicine — all attributed to the Prophet Daniel. A different order of text than the operative grimoires, but important for understanding how celestial science and prophetic attribution functioned together in the Arabic manuscript tradition. Includes reproduced woodcut illustrations of the twelve zodiac signs. John Friend Publishing's translation (113 pages) is the first complete English version. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

The Tested Remedies of the Monks (Mujarrabat al-Ruhban)

A remarkable syncretic text — spiritual remedies, protective amulets, spirit invocations, and talismanic constructions attributed to Christian monks versed in the esoteric sciences. The Mujarrabat al-Ruhban represents the cross-confessional current in Arabic occultism, where knowledge flowed between Christian and Islamic practitioners without the rigid boundaries later imposed by both traditions. John Friend Publishing's translation (308 pages) is the first complete English version. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

The Radiant Jewels for Summoning the Kings of Jinn (al-Jawahir al-Lamma'a)

A focused manual of planetary hours and jinn-king conjuration — the timing science that underlies every operative working in the tradition. Which hour belongs to which planet, which king of the jinn governs which domain, and what the precise protocols are for approach at the correct moment. John Friend Publishing's translation (211 pages) is the first complete English version. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

Tumtum al-Hindi: The Book of Tumtum the Indian

One of the most celebrated texts in the Arabic occult corpus, attributed to a legendary Indian sage whose knowledge of stellar magic and talismanic operations entered the Islamic magical corpus through the great translation movements of the 8th–10th centuries. Covers stellar magic, attraction (jalb), excitation (tahyij), and love operations (tahbib) — the full operative spectrum of influence magic. John Friend Publishing's translation (298 pages) is the first complete English version. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

The Complete Magic of the Jinn Kings (Sihr Muluk al-Jann)

The complete operative system for working with the seven kings of the jinn — each king assigned to a planet, a day of the week, a specific incense, and a particular domain of operations. Conjuration protocols, planetary correspondences, and magic squares organized around the seven-king system that forms the backbone of jinn conjuration practice across the tradition. John Friend Publishing's translation (241 pages) is the first complete English version. Status: Complete translation available, on Amazon.

The Al-Buni Manuscripts Collection

Ahmad al-Buni (d. 1225 CE) is the central figure of the Arabic occult tradition. The texts directly attributed to him — the corpus Bunianum — form the most extensive and systematically translated body of Arabic occult material in English. John Friend Publishing has produced seven volumes of direct translations from al-Buni's manuscripts.

al-Asrar al-Rabbaniyyah (The Divine Secrets) — Vol. II

The foundational text on the spiritual properties of the Arabic letters. Each of the 28 letters is treated as a living entity with its own spirit, elemental correspondence, and celestial affiliation. The inner architecture of the Arabic alphabet as al-Buni understood it. 135 pages. On Amazon.

Manba' Usul al-Hikma (The Source of the Foundations of Wisdom) — Vol. III

Contains the Barhatiyyah oath — considered the most powerful conjuration in the entire Arabic magical tradition — alongside systematic magic square construction methods and divine name operations. A massive and consequential text. 485 pages. On Amazon.

Hijab 'Azim al-Sha'n (The Great and Proven Veil) — Vol. IV

A concentrated manual of protective talismans and spiritual veils (hijab). Contains the seven protective veils and the talisman construction methods that later authorities considered too dangerous to print. 49 pages. On Amazon.

Majmu'at al-Awrad (Collection of Litanies) — Vol. V

Prayers, litanies, and invocations for specific emergencies: plague, childbirth, the evil eye, spiritual distress. Practical spiritual remedies drawn from the prophetic and Sufi traditions within al-Buni's operative framework. 84 pages. On Amazon.

Majmu'at Thalath Rasa'il (Collection of Three Treatises) — Vol. VI

Three treatises attributed to al-Buni and his spiritual lineage, including the Sufi path of 60 gates from the Shadhili tradition — the forbidden treatises that circulated together in manuscript form, covering operative spirituality, mystical progression, and esoteric practice. 278 pages. On Amazon.

Mudih al-Tariq (The Illuminator of the Path) — Vol. VII

The most comprehensive treatment of divine name practice in the al-Buni corpus: 99 divine names and 80 additional divine names across 80 chapters, each treated with its properties, invocation methods, and operative applications. 571 pages. On Amazon.

Usul 'Ilm al-Huruf (Foundations of the Science of Letters) — Vol. VIII

The theoretical foundations of letter science ('ilm al-huruf): the classification of letters into luminous and dark categories, the system for taking possession of intellects, souls, and hearts, and the advanced knowledge al-Buni reserved for practitioners who had already mastered the foundations. 161 pages. On Amazon.

What Is Not Yet Available

Honesty requires noting what is still missing. The Ghayat al-Hakim has been translated (as described above), but the full Arabic manuscript tradition behind it remains underexplored in English. The Ikhwan al-Safa' encyclopedias — the Brethren of Purity texts that form the Neoplatonic philosophical substrate of the entire tradition — exist in expensive multi-volume academic editions from Oxford University Press, not accessible translations. The Kitab al-Istamatis, the texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus in Arabic, and the great Ottoman commentaries on al-Buni remain untranslated. There is decades of work still to be done.

What exists today represents a watershed moment: more of the Arabic occult tradition is available to English readers than at any previous point in history. The fifteen titles from John Friend Publishing alone constitute a body of material that would have been unimaginable to an English reader even five years ago.

A Quick-Reference Table

Text Publisher Status Access
Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Shams al-Anwar (Ibn Tilmsani) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, HC, Kindle)
Kitab al-Ajnas John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, HC, Kindle)
Tumtum al-Hindi John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, HC, Kindle)
al-Jawahir al-Lamma'a John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, HC, Kindle)
Sihr Muluk al-Jann John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, HC, Kindle)
Mujarrabat al-Ruhban John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, HC, Kindle)
Kitab Danyal al-Nabi John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, HC, Kindle)
al-Asrar al-Rabbaniyyah (al-Buni) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Manba' Usul al-Hikma (al-Buni) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Hijab 'Azim al-Sha'n (al-Buni) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Majmu'at al-Awrad (al-Buni) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Majmu'at Thalath Rasa'il (al-Buni) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Mudih al-Tariq (al-Buni) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Usul 'Ilm al-Huruf (al-Buni) John Friend Publishing Complete Amazon (KU, PB, Kindle)
Picatrix (Latin-based) Llewellyn (Greer/Warnock) Complete Print, widely available
Picatrix / Ghayat al-Hakim (Arabic) Inner Traditions (Attrell/Porreca) Complete Print
Shams al-Ma'arif (partial/practitioner) Revelore Press Partial Print (limited)
Al-Buni scholarship (monographs) Brill Academic Academic only Institutional pricing

Where to Start

If you are new to the Arabic occult tradition, the question of where to begin is not obvious. The Shams al-Ma'arif is the most famous text, but its 818 pages assume familiarity with the operative framework — the letter science, the magic square construction, the planetary correspondences — that is better learned from shorter, more focused texts first.

Three entry points, depending on what draws you:

If you want the operative system: Begin with Suns of Lights and the Great Treasures of Secrets. It is organized as a practitioner's manual, moving from foundational principles through the Names of God to magic squares to planetary timing — a complete working introduction in 264 pages.

If you want the al-Buni corpus specifically: Begin with al-Asrar al-Rabbaniyyah. At 135 pages, it is al-Buni's concentrated treatment of the spiritual properties of each Arabic letter — the conceptual foundation on which everything else in the corpus rests.

If you want the jinn tradition: Begin with The Radiant Jewels for Summoning the Kings of Jinn. It covers the planetary hours system and jinn-king conjuration protocols in a focused, operationally clear format before moving to the larger texts.

The full catalog of fifteen titles is available through John Friend Publishing on Amazon. All titles are free with Kindle Unlimited.