In 2018, a Turkish publisher released a modern Turkish translation. Copies sold out in days, but then the translator was targeted by online fatwas calling for the book’s destruction. Western occult publishers (like Weiser or Llewellyn) have repeatedly passed on Shams because they fear legal liability if a reader harms themselves or others.

, translated by and J.M. Hamade . This is currently considered the best option for English readers. It is a scholarly, "selected" translation that focuses on the most important sections, such as the mysteries of letters, astrological timings, and the names of God, making it accessible to modern audiences. It is primarily available as a physical book or licensed eBook via retailers like Amazon and Goodreads The Academic Quran Project (Vibe-Coded Translation)

Shams al-Ma’arif (The Sun of Knowledge), authored by the 13th-century Sufi scholar Ahmad al-Buni, is arguably the most famous—and feared—grimoire in the Islamic world. For centuries, this massive compendium of talismanic magic, letter science ( Ilm al-Huroof ), and astrology remained largely untranslated in the West, fueling a demand for digital PDF versions. However, the quality and authenticity of these English PDFs vary significantly, with a few modern academic and specialized efforts standing out as superior for serious study. The Challenge of Translating Al-Buni

Those specifically interested in the technical aspects of talismans and numerology