--- page_title: "Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra by al-Buni: Complete English Edition" summary: "Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra by Ahmad al-Buni, translated in full: all 40 chapters in four parts, 818 pages, sold in paperback and as a Kindle edition." html_url: https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/al-buni-manuscripts-collection/shams-al-maarif-al-kubra.html text_url: https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/al-buni-manuscripts-collection/shams-al-maarif-al-kubra.md revised: 2026-10-24 publisher: John Friend Publishing series: "Al-Buni Manuscripts Collection" volume: "Volume I" formats: - "Kindle $149.95" - "Paperback $149.95" --- ![Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra English translation book cover with the Arabic title شمس المعارف الكبرى and the subtitle The Complete Sun of Divine Knowledge, by Ahmad ibn Ali al-Buni, translated from Arabic by John Friend](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/assets/book_covers/buni_01_shams_maarif.jpg) Volume I — Al-Buni Manuscripts Collection # Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra — The Complete English Translation شمس المعارف الكبرى Translated by John Friend · 818 pages · Vol. I Free with Kindle Unlimited First complete English translation of Ahmad al-Buni's *Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra* — all 40 chapters across 4 parts. Covers the foundational letter science, magic square construction from 3×3 through 9×9 grids, the 99 divine names, lunar mansions and talismanic practice, invocations, and prayers. Based on the 1927 printed Arabic edition. Kindle **$149.95** · Paperback **$149.95** Formats: - [Buy on Amazon — Kindle](https://urlgeni.us/amazon/30IGj9) - [Buy on Amazon — Paperback](https://urlgeni.us/amazon/7cCq5b) - [Read Free Sample](https://read.amazon.com/sample/B0H2Q9RDCN?clientId=share) [Bookstores & libraries: order wholesale direct from the publisher](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/wholesale.html) ## What's Inside - All 40 chapters of the most feared Arabic grimoire ever written — presented here in the first complete English translation. - The science of letters (*ilm al-huruf*) and numerical cosmology: how the Arabic alphabet underlies all created existence. - Magic squares (*awfaq*) from 3×3 through 9×9, divine names, and detailed talismanic construction procedures. - Jinn hierarchies, planetary correspondences, and invocation rites across 818 pages of the foundational Arabic occult text. ## Shams al-Ma'arif in English: The Full Book If you have been looking for *Shams al-Ma'arif* in English, this is the full book: a complete English translation of *Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra* (شمس المعارف الكبرى), the Arabic grimoire attributed to [Ahmad ibn Ali al-Buni](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/magic-book-banned-burned-al-buni.html) (d. 622 AH / 1225 CE). It is translated from the 1927 printed Arabic edition — the most widely circulated recension of the text — and presents all four parts in full, with Arabic terms in IJMES romanization and barbarous names transliterated alongside the original Arabic script. ### What the Title Means *Shams* means “sun,” *al-ma'arif* means “knowledges” or gnosis, and *al-kubra* means “the Greater.” Hence the English rendering on the cover of this edition, *The Complete Sun of Divine Knowledge*. Despite the shared word, the book is not a commentary on Surah al-Shams (Qur'an 91), although that surah's opening, “By the sun and its brightness,” is among the recitations it prescribes during a forty-day fast. In the preface the author gives the book's full title, *Shams al-Ma'arif wa-Lata'if al-'Awarif*, and the heading of Part One calls it *The Greater Sun of Knowledge and the Subtleties of Gnosis*. ### Inside the Four Parts and Forty Chapters **Part One** (Chapters 1–14) covers the letters and their secrets, breaking and expansion and the timing of works by hours, the judgments of the [twenty-eight lunar mansions](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/lunar-mansions-secret-timing-system-arabic-magic.html) and the twelve zodiac signs, the Basmalah, seclusion and retreat, the names by which Jesus revived the dead, the Fatiha, and the Greatest Name of God. **Part Two** (Chapters 15–20) turns to the Beautiful Names of God and their tested magic squares, the letters Kaf Ha Ya ‘Ayn Sad, the Throne Verse, talismans, and Surat Ya Sin. **Part Three** (Chapters 21–37) arranges the Beautiful Names in ten lines, then treats the Arabic letters with their planets and servants, the zayirjah, and the works of simiya. **Part Four** (Chapters 38–40) closes with the uses of the letters, an explanation of the Most Beautiful Names, and invocations for every night and time. For a chapter-by-chapter overview, see our essay on [the first complete Shams al-Ma'arif English translation](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/first-complete-shams-al-maarif-english-translation.html); for the book's history and reputation, read [Shams al-Ma'arif explained](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/what-is-shams-al-maarif.html) and [why the book was banned and burned](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/magic-book-banned-burned-al-buni.html). The theory of letters behind these chapters is set out at length in the collection's book of [ilm al-huruf](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/al-buni-manuscripts-collection/usul-ilm-al-huruf.html). ### Shams al-Ma'arif Pages, Seals, and Book Cover The paperback runs to 818 pages. Its talismanic seals and magic squares are reproduced as images from the source, and where the source is illegible the translator notes the gap rather than inventing content. The Shams al-Ma'arif book cover carries the Arabic title شمس المعارف الكبرى above the English subtitle; use the Read Free Sample button above to see the first pages before you buy. ## Shams al-Ma'arif: Frequently Asked Questions ### Is there a complete Shams al-Ma'arif English translation? Yes. This edition is the first unabridged English translation of Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra, with all four parts and all 40 chapters across 818 pages. It is translated from the 1927 printed Arabic edition, the most widely circulated recension of the text. Nothing is selected or summarized. ### Who wrote Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra? Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra is attributed to Ahmad ibn Ali al-Buni, who died in 622 AH (1225 CE). This English edition, translated from Arabic by John Friend, is Volume I of the Al-Buni Manuscripts Collection. ### What does Shams al-Ma'arif mean in English? Shams means “sun,” al-ma'arif means “knowledges” or gnosis, and al-kubra means “the Greater.” The cover of this edition reads The Complete Sun of Divine Knowledge. The book is not a commentary on Surah al-Shams, although that surah's opening verse appears among its prescribed recitations. ### Is Shams al Maarif the same book as Shamsul Maarif or Chams al Maarif? Yes. The Arabic title شمس المعارف الكبرى is transliterated many ways: Shams al-Ma'arif, Shams al Maarif, Shams al Ma arif, Shams al-Marif, Shams al Maaref, Shamsul Maarif or Shamsul Marif, and the French Chams al Maarif. The apostrophe marks the Arabic letter 'ayn, which Arabic chat spelling writes as the numeral 3 (Shams al Ma3arif), and Shamsul reflects how the title sounds when spoken aloud. ### Is there a Shams al Maarif PDF in English? This translation is published as a Kindle edition and a paperback, not as a PDF. The Kindle edition is free to read with Kindle Unlimited, and Amazon offers a free sample before you buy. ### Where can I buy Shams al Maarif in English? The 818-page paperback ($149.95) and the Kindle edition are both sold on Amazon through the buttons at the head of this page. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read the full English translation at no extra cost. ### Is there a Shams al-Ma'arif audiobook? Not at present. The English translation is available only as a paperback and a Kindle edition. ## You May Also Like - [Usul 'Ilm al-Huruf — Al-Buni Collection](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/al-buni-manuscripts-collection/usul-ilm-al-huruf.html) - [al-Asrar al-Rabbaniyyah — Al-Buni Collection](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/al-buni-manuscripts-collection/al-asrar-al-rabbaniyyah.html) - [Hijab 'Azim al-Sha'n — Al-Buni Collection](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/al-buni-manuscripts-collection/hijab-azim-al-shan.html) ## Related Articles - [Why People Say the Shams al-Ma'arif Will Drive You Mad — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/why-people-say-shams-al-maarif-will-drive-you-mad.html) - [The First Complete Shams al-Ma'arif English Translation — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/first-complete-shams-al-maarif-english-translation.html) ## Follow the Translation New essays on the Arabic occult tradition, manuscript discoveries, and translation notes. - [Follow on Substack](https://substack.com/@johnfriendpublishing) - [Follow on Medium](https://medium.com/@johnfriendpublishing)