The text was written in the 13th century by the celebrated Sufi mystic Ahmad al-Buni (d. 1225). Born in Buna, Algeria, al-Buni eventually settled in Cairo. While he was a scholar of the Islamic sciences, he is best remembered for his writings on the "Science of Letters" (Ilm al-Huruf).

Al-Buni was not merely a "magician" in the theatrical sense; he was a devout practitioner of Sufism who believed that the Arabic language—and specifically the names of God—held vibratory powers that could influence the material world.

Shams al-Ma'arif is not a light read. It is an encyclopedic compendium of the occult sciences. If you download a PDF of the text, you will likely encounter:

You do not have to believe in magic to respect the psychological danger of the Shams al-Ma'arif.

Psychological Danger: The book is designed to instill fear and awe. It contains prayers to "the King of the North" and formulas to "bind the eyes of your enemy." If you read this at 2 AM with a weak mental state, you can induce a panic attack, sleep paralysis, or obsessive thoughts.

Spiritual Danger (per traditions): Practitioners who handle the PDF without a formal ijazah (license from a living master) claim: