--- page_title: "Shams al-Anwar English Translation: Suns of Lights (1327 CE)" summary: "Shams al-Anwar in English (1327 CE): the 99 Names of Allah, planetary magic squares (awfaq) from Saturn to the Moon, Surat al-Jinn rites and letter magic." html_url: https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/arabic-islamicate-occult-manuscripts/suns-of-lights-and-the-great-treasures-of-secrets.html text_url: https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/arabic-islamicate-occult-manuscripts/suns-of-lights-and-the-great-treasures-of-secrets.md revised: 2026-10-24 publisher: John Friend Publishing series: "Arabic Islamicate Occult Manuscripts in Translation" volume: "Vol. III" formats: - "Kindle $49.99" - "Paperback $79.95" - "Hardcover $99.95" --- ![Cover of Suns of Lights and the Great Treasures of Secrets -- Shams al-Anwar wa Kunuz al-Asrar al-Kubra by Ibn al-Hajj al-Tilmsani, an Arabic manual of the 99 Names of God, magic squares (awfaq) and letter magic in English translation](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/assets/book_covers/03_shams_anwar.jpg) Vol. III # Suns of Lights and the Great Treasures of Secrets شموس الأنوار وكنوز الأسرار الكبرى Ibn al-Hajj al-Tilmsani (1327 CE) · Translated by John Friend · 264 pages · Vol. III Free with Kindle Unlimited In English for the first time in 700 years. The 99 Beautiful Names of God (al-Asma al-Husna), magic squares (*awfaq*) from the 3×3 to the 9×9 planetary, the seven planetary spirits with their incenses and timing, and the science of Arabic letter magic. A foundational manual of the same Islamicate tradition as the *Shams al-Ma’arif*. Kindle **$49.99** · Paperback **$79.95** · Hardcover **$99.95** Formats: - [Buy on Amazon — Kindle](https://urlgeni.us/amazon/uxBVGB) - [Buy on Amazon — Paperback](https://urlgeni.us/amazon/tW71Wj) - [Buy on Amazon — Hardcover](https://urlgeni.us/amazon/KDzQIn) [Bookstores & libraries: order wholesale direct from the publisher](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/wholesale.html) ## What's Inside Shams al-Anwar - The operational sequel to al-Buni's *Shams al-Ma'arif*, dated 1327 CE — bringing its theoretical framework into applied practice. - Magic squares assigned to each day of the week, with construction rules and the purposes each is designed to serve. - Planetary hour tables and their corresponding jinn — a timing system for ritual operations. - Talismanic instructions for commerce, protection, and love, specifying materials, timing, and invocation formulas. ## Shams al-Anwar in English: Names, Squares and Spirits This Shams translation is not al-Buni’s *Shams al-Ma’arif*, though both titles begin with *shams*, the Arabic word for sun, and the two are easy to mix up in English. *Shams al-Anwar* — in the manuscript’s own spelling *Shumus al-Anwar*, “Suns of Lights” — is attributed to Ibn al-Hajj al-Tilmsani al-Maghribi and dated 727 AH / 1327 CE. Readers looking for other books by the author of Shams al-Ma’arif will find al-Buni’s own works in the [Al-Buni Manuscripts Collection](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/collection.html); Shams al-Anwar comes from a later hand working in the same tradition. ### The Beautiful Names of God and the science of letters Chapter One opens on the secret of the letters and Chapter Two on the properties of the Beautiful Names of God (*al-Asma’ al-Husna*), the 99 Names that recur through the book down to the treatment of the Fifth Name, *al-‘Alim*, in the second volume. Chapter Four explains how to extract the servants of the Names and of the Quran, and Chapter Six the composition of the letters. For how al-Buni handled the same Names, see [what al-Buni wrote about the 99 Names of Allah](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/99-names-of-god-what-al-buni-actually-wrote.html). ### Magic squares from Saturn to the Moon Chapter Nine sets out the magic squares (*awfaq*), and the second volume explains how to construct them, with one method for odd squares and another for even. The book assigns each size to a planet: the three-by-three to Saturn, four-by-four to Jupiter, five-by-five to Mars, six-by-six to the Sun, seven-by-seven to Venus, eight-by-eight to Mercury and nine-by-nine to the Moon. The Sun’s square here is therefore the six-by-six, and each square, properly constructed and consecrated, is said to become a vessel for its planet’s spiritual force. For the system behind them, read [Arabic magic squares: the awfaq explained](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/arabic-magic-squares-not-what-you-think.html); for the squares this Arabic magic square manuscript gives for each weekday, see [the Sun’s magic square and the other weekday squares](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/shams-al-anwar-magic-squares-planetary-days.html). ### Surat al-Jinn and the service of the jinn Chapter Seventeen, on the service of the jinn, describes their nature and tribes, and its procedures lean on the Quran. One has the practitioner make ablution, pray two cycles of the prayer of need and recite Surat al-Jinn three times before asking God for “a righteous servant from among the believing jinn.” Elsewhere in the book, a section on freeing a person, a dwelling or a whole town from the jinn has Surat al-Jinn written out complete on a clean sheet, recited over with the Greatest Name and fumigated with frankincense and costus. ### The science of the earth Chapter Twelve, on the science of the earth, covers the purified circle, the four angels who guard the directions and the planet tied to each direction. It mentions geomancy (*‘ilm al-raml*), reading the figures struck in the dust, only in passing: geomancy needs its own body of knowledge, the text says, but a talismanic practitioner should know its basics for choosing auspicious times and directions. A full treatise on [Arabic geomancy](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/first-complete-shams-al-maarif-english-translation.html) is among the four that close the 1927 printed edition of the *Shams al-Ma’arif*. ## Shams al-Anwar: Frequently Asked Questions ### Is Shams al-Anwar the same book as Shams al-Ma'arif? No. Shams al-Anwar wa Kunuz al-Asrar al-Kubra is attributed to Ibn al-Hajj al-Tilmsani and dated 1327 CE, while Shams al-Ma'arif al-Kubra is attributed to Ahmad al-Buni. Both belong to the same Islamicate tradition of the Names of God, magic squares and letter magic, and this is a separate English translation. ### Who wrote Shams al-Anwar? The manuscript is attributed to Ibn al-Hajj al-Tilmsani al-Maghribi and dated 727 AH / 1327 CE. It is not a work of al-Buni; his own books are gathered in the Al-Buni Manuscripts Collection. ### Which magic square does Shams al-Anwar assign to the Sun? The book assigns the six-by-six square to the Sun, in a planetary series that runs from the three-by-three square of Saturn to the nine-by-nine square of the Moon. It teaches separate construction methods for odd and even squares and says each square, properly constructed and consecrated, becomes a vessel for its planet's spiritual force. ### Does Shams al-Anwar cover the 99 Names of Allah? Yes. Chapter Two is devoted to the properties of the Beautiful Names of God (al-Asma al-Husna), and Chapter Four to extracting the servants of the Names and of the Quran. ### Does Shams al-Anwar use Surat al-Jinn? Yes. One procedure in the chapter on the service of the jinn has the practitioner recite Surat al-Jinn three times after the prayer of need, and a section on exorcism has Surat al-Jinn written out complete, recited over with the Greatest Name and fumigated with frankincense and costus. ### Does Shams al-Anwar teach Arabic geomancy? Only in passing. Chapter Twelve, on the science of the earth, names geomancy ('ilm al-raml) as a discipline beyond its scope, but advises the talismanic practitioner to know its basics for choosing auspicious times and directions. ### Is Shams al-Anwar available in English? Yes. This is the first English translation, 264 pages, in Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions. The Kindle edition is free with Kindle Unlimited. ## You May Also Like - [The Book of the Prophet Daniel — Arabic Grimoire](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/arabic-islamicate-occult-manuscripts/the-book-of-the-prophet-daniel.html) - [The Complete Magic of the Jinn Kings — Arabic Grimoire](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/arabic-islamicate-occult-manuscripts/the-complete-magic-of-the-jinn-kings.html) - [The Radiant Jewels (al-Jawahir) — Arabic Grimoire](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/books/arabic-islamicate-occult-manuscripts/the-radiant-jewels-for-summoning-the-kings-of-jinn.html) ## Related Articles - [What Is Shams al-Ma'arif? A Reader's Guide — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/what-is-shams-al-maarif.html) - [Shams al-Anwar: The Lost Sequel to Shams al-Ma'arif — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/shams-anwar-lost-sequel-shams-al-maarif.html) - [A Magic Square for Every Day: Shams al-Anwar — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/shams-al-anwar-magic-squares-planetary-days.html) - [Magic Squares for Every Day of the Week (1327 CE) — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/shams-al-anwar-magic-squares-planetary-days.html) - [Shams al-Ma'arif vs Picatrix: Two Grimoires, One Tradition — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/shams-al-maarif-vs-picatrix-comparison.html) - [Arabic Talisman Making: A Beginner's Guide to the Manuscript Tradition — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/arabic-talisman-making-guide-beginners.html) - [Arabic Magic Squares: The Awfaq System Explained — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/arabic-magic-squares-not-what-you-think.html) - [The Magic Book That Got Al-Buni Banned and Burned — Essay](https://johnfriendpublishing.com/articles/magic-book-banned-burned-al-buni.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)