What is Shams al-Ma'arif?

Legal:

Several Muslim countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia) have laws against digitizing shirk-heavy (polytheistic) texts. Hosting a full English PDF is a cyber-crime in these jurisdictions.

The exact date of Shams al-Ma'arif's composition is unknown, but it is believed to have been written in the 13th century. The text has been widely circulated and translated throughout the centuries, influencing various occult and mystical traditions. Shams al-Ma'arif is considered a seminal work in the Islamic occult tradition, offering insights into the spiritual and magical practices of the time.

Reading the PDF without wudu (ritual purity) or without a foundational knowledge of Quranic Arabic is said to cause:

Spirit Invocation:

Instructions for contacting and communicating with Jinn and angels.

Defenders view it as a manual for "Quranic theurgy," using divine names to seek protection, healing, or proximity to God. Sorcery (Black Magic): Detractors, including many orthodox scholars, condemn it as (sorcery) because it provides detailed guides for summoning

The Shams al-Ma’arif, or The Book of the Sun of Gnosis, stands as one of the most enigmatic and influential works in the history of Islamic occultism. Attributed to the 13th-century Sufi scholar Ahmad al-Buni, this grimoire has fascinated and frightened readers for centuries. For a long time, the full secrets of this massive compendium were locked away in its original Arabic, accessible only to scholars and practitioners of the esoteric arts in the Middle East and North Africa. However, the recent emergence of high-quality English translations and exclusive PDF editions has opened a new chapter for Western occultists and researchers of Islamic mysticism.

The Warning:

Modern urban legends claim that even opening the book can attract jinn or bring misfortune to the uninitiated. The original text itself includes warnings against showing it to those "unworthy" of its secrets. Does an English PDF Translation Exist?