Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Būnī, died c. 1225
Shams al-Maʿārif al-Kubrā
The most feared book in Islamic magic is now available in full in English. The 1,446 pages take in all four parts, along with all 479 figures on 225 facsimile plates.
This volume contains no assertion that any method outlined within it brings about a physical outcome. It is simply a rendering of a historical document.
- Pages
- 1,446
- Volumes
- Two, 229 x 152 mm
- Plates
- 225 facsimile plates, 479 figures
- Formats
- Paperback, PDF, EPUB
- ISBN
- 9798172091162 and 9798172093081
- Printing
- On demand, posted worldwide
This edition draws on the Cairo imprint of 1347 AH (1928), produced at the Ḥusayniyya Egyptian Press close to al-Azhar, using the volume preserved at the American University of Beirut, the cover of which bears the mark of ʿĪsā al-Bābī al-Ḥalabī and Partners. The underlying material comprises 546 scanned pages, with every plate captured at 300 dots per inch. Within the text, 89 doubtful readings are indicated openly instead of being silently amended.
What the pages look like
Six of the 479 illustrations, together with a page spread taken from the completed volume
Click or tap any image to view a larger version.
What this book is
Around the year 1200, a scholar from Annaba, in what is now Algeria, recorded a tradition that had been handed down orally from teacher to student. He catalogued the twenty-eight letters of the Arabic alphabet, assigning to each its numerical value, element and planetary association. He also set out the ninety-nine Names of God, together with the attributes that custom linked to each one. In addition, he described how to construct the balanced tables known as awfāq, and explained the purposes they were believed to serve.
Very few books have journeyed so widely. Its pages turned up in the libraries of the Ottoman court, in Sufi lodges throughout West Africa, among the Mughal rulers of India and within the brotherhoods of the Maghrib. For 800 years it was cited, debated and reproduced by scribes.
The publication has also drawn criticism. Al-Azhar in Cairo has repeatedly described it as a guide to siḥr, meaning prohibited sorcery. That background is genuine and contributes to the text's importance, yet it is not the reason for our decision to release it. We chose to publish it because a work with such influence ought to be fully accessible to any reader wishing to examine it.
What is in the 1,446 pages
Part One, the science of letters. Every one of the twenty-eight letters of the Arabic alphabet, with its numerical value, its element and its associated planet, together with al-Būnī's full reasoning presented in its entirety rather than condensed.
Part Two: the squares. The awfāq, starting with the three-by-three grid and larger, along with the methods for constructing them. In this issue, each one is a clear diagram that readers can trace and reproduce.
Part Three: The Names of God. This section covers the ninety-nine Names, along with their numerical values and the characteristics that tradition attributes to each one.
Part Four, the practical chapters. The rituals and operations that gave the volume its standing, rendered in complete and unabridged translation, with commentary where the manuscripts differ. Four briefer works published after the Fourth Part are likewise included.
Parts One and Two appear in Volume One, while Volume Two contains Parts Three and Four, along with the four additional treatises appended to the work. An introductory preface sets out the editorial method, and a separate note specifies the edition used for the print text.
Regarding other English editions. Several English selections of this work are available, and some are of good quality. One is suggested on our comparison page. A different publisher brought out a complete English edition in May 2026 as well, so we make no claim to being the first or the sole full translation. What we claim is narrower and precise: all four parts over 1,446 pages, with every one of the 479 figures transcribed cell by cell and likewise reproduced in facsimile.
How it was made, in four facts
- The source text is taken from the Cairo edition of 1928 (1347 AH), produced by the Ḥusayniyya Egyptian Press, as found in the 546-page digitised version held by the American University of Beirut.
- A large language model generated the draft by processing each page image individually, and each entry in every table was transcribed directly from the visual rather than taken from any prior translation.
- After the draft had been finished, the publisher edited it and put it together into the two volumes.
- Eighty-nine uncertain readings are still flagged in the document.
The full statement, together with the areas that remain uncertain, can be found on the about page.
Why a second edition was needed. The original version relied on optical character recognition of a scanned document. As a result, it lacked the illustrations, and one critic pointed this out. That criticism was fair. For this release, the text has been retranslated directly from the page images, and all 479 figures are now included.
Looking for another edition? If you need scholarly, peer-reviewed work on al-Būnī, you should buy the title listed on our editions comparison page. This edition is intended for readers who want the complete text, with every plate transcribed and reproduced in facsimile.
Editions
Choose a format
Purchasing directly ensures the majority of the cost goes to the publisher behind the book.
Digital $12.99
PDF and EPUB, normally sent to your inbox a few minutes after payment
- Fully searchable text
- The plates are set at print resolution so that a square can be reproduced with crisp edges.
- Reads on anything, no app required
- Yours to keep, no expiry, no DRM
Two volumes $59
Both are paperback editions, totalling 1,446 pages, sized 229 by 152 mm, and produced via print-on-demand.
- Printed and posted together, worldwide
- Postage included in the price
- Typically between 7 and 12 days, depending on the destination country
- Packed in a box, not a bag
Both $71.99 $69
The two paperbacks plus the digital edition
- Access the PDF now, the printed books will arrive by mail afterwards
- Search the digital, work from the printed
- Print the squares without breaking a spine
- Saves $2.99
Including al-Dayrabī $19.99
Digital versions of the two titles
- Shams al-Maʿārif al-Kubrā plus Mujarrabāt al-Dayrabī, in PDF and EPUB formats
- Bought on their own, the pair would cost $22.98
Sold on Amazon at prices set by Amazon: the full work is available on Kindle for $12.99; individual volumes cost $8.99 each on Kindle (Volume One, Volume Two); and each volume is priced at $34.99 in paperback (Volume One, Volume Two).
Honest answers to the awkward questions
Are the magic squares actually in it?
Indeed, presented as figures. We state this without ambiguity, because the initial edition omitted them and a critic flagged the absence. That criticism was valid. The squares are central to the book, and an edition that merely discusses them fails to be comprehensive. They are included here, all 479, each rendered both as a transcription and as a plate of the original printed page.
How was the translation made?
The summary above covers the essentials. For the complete story, including the role of automation and the extent of human editing, see the about page. We prefer to be upfront before you subscribe, rather than leave you to discover the details later.
Will it work?
This is a rendering of a historical text. We offer no assurance, whether explicit or implicit, that any method described within it yields a material outcome. How you choose to use this material is your own affair, and we guarantee nothing, for there is nothing to guarantee.
Is it legal where I live?
The rules governing book imports and ownership vary between countries, and we cannot advise on what is legal in your jurisdiction. Printed copies are available to order only for the destinations listed at checkout. Digital editions, on the other hand, are not subject to customs procedures of any kind.
Does this version surpass the other English editions?
This is an unabridged translation covering all four sections, and that is as far as our claim goes. If you need a version for academic work, a different one may suit you better, and we point it out on our comparison of editions. Ensuring you end up with the right book counts for more with us than clinching a sale.
Do I need to read Arabic?
No. Technical terminology is transliterated and clarified on its first mention. Where an English rendering would strip a term of its intended sense, the transliteration is retained with an accompanying explanation, rather than being simplified.
Whoever acquires this book must not place it in unworthy hands. Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Būnī