This was not theology. It was theurgy—attempting to compel the unseen world. Mainstream Islam condemns this as shirk (associating partners with God), because it treats divine names as mere tools of power rather than objects of worship.
The (The Sun of Knowledge) is one of the most famous and controversial grimoires in the Arabic-speaking and Islamicate world. Attributed to the 13th-century Sufi scholar Ahmad al-Buni , it remains a subject of fascination for its mix of spiritual cosmology, numerology, and magical practices. What is the Shams al-Ma'arif? the sun of knowledge (shams al-ma'arif) pdf
Idris knew the name. Even among the quiet shelves of the Qarawiyyin Mosque’s library, the Shams was spoken of in half-sentences. Some called it the pinnacle of esoteric Islam. Others called it the most dangerous book ever written in Arabic. This was not theology
Inside, wrapped in frayed silk, lay a single leather-bound manuscript. Its title, embossed in faded gold, read: Shams al-Ma‘arif wa Lata’if al-‘Awarif — The (The Sun of Knowledge) is one of
The Shams al-Ma‘arif is not a grimoire of evil. It is a mirror. It reflects a human longing: to control the uncontrollable, to decode the divine, to touch the sun without burning.
The story of the Shams begins not in darkness, but in dazzling light. Its author, Ahmad al-Buni (d. 1225 CE), was a respected Algerian Sufi mathematician and philosopher. Al-Buni lived in an age when the boundaries between astronomy, numerology, geometry, and spirituality were fluid. He was fascinated by a core Islamic belief: that God’s creation is woven from His Names — the 99 attributes like The Merciful, The King, The Light.