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Shams Al Maarif Pdf 20: The Comprehensive Edition of the Famous Book of Wonders



A recension of his four volume (500+pp) Kitāb shams al-ma'ārif wa'l-latā'if al-awārif ('The Book oŗ Sun of Gnosis .. Cairo, 1904) is fairly well-known in various of its three or more recensions of varying length. It was certainly known in Qajar, 19th century lran. This work makes creative use of abjad and other number correspondences, (magic) number-letter squares and deals with jafr and the construction of amulets and circles of astronomical, talismanic and magical import.The Shams al-ma'āraf contains detailed comments upon numerous theologically loaded divine names and attributes, including the ninety-nine a/-asmā' al-husnā, the 'most beautiful names' of God listed in various traditions ascribed to the prophet Muhammad and the twelver lmams (cf. Majlisi, Bihār 2 XX:XX). Other names, including those of the mother of Mūsā (Moses), miscellaneous arcane scripts and components of the secreted al-ism Allāh al-a`zam ('Mightiest Nameof God'), are discussed in novel and interesting ways.




Shams Al Maarif Pdf 20




Angelological and other matters rooted in or expressive of lsrā'iliyyāt / Islamo-Biblica are also present. Goldziher, Vajda and others have touched upon aspects of the occasionally Jewish-rooted and related magical, mystical, theological, angelological and other aspects of influential Kitāb shams al-ma'ārif.The Shams al-ma 'ārif of al-Būnī identifies and discusses the Divine Name through which Moses was commissioned when God proclaimed , "I verily am God, no God is there except Me" . It was by means of the Mightiest Name of God (al-ism al-a`zam) that Jesus resurrected the dead. Though al-Būnī states that Jesus utilzed the "greatest, mighty, greatest Name of God" (al-ism [Allāh] al-a`zam ... Shams 1:52) he also registers several supplementary traditions which spell out the text of the life-giving prayer more precisely. ln the section specifically devoted to this matter the following tradition is related from Abū Hudhayl who transmitted the tradition that Jesus would bow twice in prayer (raka'tayn) then fall prostrate and address God with the following six Divine Names:


Much space is given to traditions associated with the ism Allāh al-a`zam several different interpretations of which are given in the Kitāb shams al-ma'ārif. Also found within the Shams al-ma`ārif are a number of obscure though obviously Hebraic angelological names with the genitive 'EI= [`of God'] termination). Apart from the usual four archangels (Jibrīl, Mī kā'īl, lsrāfil and 'Azrā'īl, Shams, 76, etc) there is mention , for example, of Asyā'il, Dunyā'il, Hizqiyā'il, Dardiyā'il, Maxmā'il and Surā'īl (Shams, 52-52, 57, 71). Certain of these names derive from the Jewish pseudepigraphical, angelologically intensive incantation textbook, the Sepher Ha-Razim (Book of Mysteries, 4th cent.CE?). This source presents itself as having been revealed to Noah by the angel Raziel (The Mystery of God) before he entered the ark. Thereafter it came to be in the possession of the lsraelite king Solomon whose famed wisdom encompassed all secrets (Shams, 117, 52- 55; Vajda 1948:400; Morgan, 1983; Gruenwald, 1980:224f; cf. Dietrich, El2 Supp., 56-7).The Shams al-ma`arif has a very high opinion of the Qur'an and the Arabic language inwhich is it written: 2ff7e9595c


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