Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni (Arabic: أحمد البوني), also called
Sharaf al-Din or Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Yusuf al-Buni al-Maliki
al-ifriqi (born in Annaba, Algeria died 1225) was an Arab mathematician and a
well known Sufi and writer on the esoteric value of letters and topics relating
to mathematics, sihr (sorcery) and spirituality, but very little is known about
him. Al-Buni lived in Egypt and learned from many eminent Sufi masters of his
time.
A contemporary of Ibn Arabi, he is best known for writing one of the most
important books of his era; the Shams al-Ma'arif, a book that is still regarded
as the foremost occult text on talismans and divination. It was to be banned
soon after as heretical.
His Contribution
In Theurgy
Table of associations between letters, the mansions of the moon, the
constellations of the standard zodiac, and the seasons by Al-Buni
Table of associations between letters, the mansions of the moon, the
constellations of the standard zodiac, and the seasons by Al-Buni
Instead of sihr (Sorcery), this kind of magic was called Ilm al-Hikmah
(Knowledge of the Wisdom), Ilm al-simiyah (Study of the Divine Names) and
Ruhaniyat (Spirituality). Most of the so-called mujarrabât ("time-tested
methods") books on sorcery in the Muslim world are simplified excerpts
from the Shams al-ma`ârif. The book remains the seminal work on Theurgy and
esoteric arts to this day.
In Mathematics and Science
In c. 1200, Ahmad al-Buni showed how to construct magic squares using a
simple bordering technique, but he may not have discovered the method himself.
Al-Buni wrote about Latin squares and constructed, for example, 4 x 4 Latin
squares using letters from one of the 99 names of Allah. His works on
traditional healing remains a point of reference among Yoruba Muslim healers in
Nigeria and other areas of the Muslim world.
Sources of his knowledge
Ahmad al-Buni also left a list of other titles that he wrote.
Unfortunately, very few of them have survived.
Source of the Essentials of Wisdom
It is stated in his work Manba’ Usul al-Hikmah (Source of the Essentials of
Wisdom) that he acquired his knowledge of the esoteric properties of the
letters from his personal teacher Abu Abdillah Shams al-Din al-Asfahâni. He in
turn received it from Jalal al-Din Abdullah al-Bistami, who in turn received it
from Shaykh al-Sarajani, who received it from Qasim al-Sarajani, who received
it from Abdullah al-Babani, who received it from Asîl al-Din al-Shirazi, who
received it from Abu al-Najîb al-Sahruwardi, who received it from, Mohammad ibn
Mohammad Al-Ghazali al-Tusi, who received it from Ahmad al-Aswad, who received
it from Hamad al-Dînuri, who received it from the master Junayd of Baghdad, who
received it from Sirri Saqti, who received it from Ma’ruf al-Karkhi, who
received it from Dawud Tai, who received it from Habib al Ajami, who received
it from Imam Hasan al-Basri.
Magical Square
Al-Buni states in the same work that he acquired his knowledge of magical
squares from Sirâj al-Dîn al-Hanafi, who acquired it from Shihab al-Dîn
al-Muqaddasi, who acquired it from Shams al-Dîn al-Farisi, who acquired it from
Shihab al-Dîn al-Hamadani, who acquired it from Qutb al-Dîn al-Diyâ’i, who
acquired it from Muhyiddîn Ibn Arabi, who acquired it from Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad
ibn al-Turîzi, who acquired it from Abu Abdillah al-Qurashi, who acquired it
from Abu Madîn al-Andalusi.
Art of Letters
He also states that he acquired additional knowledge about the esoteric art
of letters and the magical squares from Mohammad 'Izz al-Dîn ibn Jam’a, who
acquired it from Mohammad al-Sirani, who acquired it from Shihab al-Dîn
al-Hamadani, who acquired it from Qutb al-Dîn al-Dhiya’i, who acquired it from
Muhyiddîn Ibn Arabi.
Occult Knowledge
Al-Buni also states that he acquired his occult knowledge from Abu
al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Maymûn al-Qastalâni, who acquired it from Abu Abdillah
Mohammed al-Qurashi, who acquired it from Abu Madîn Shu'ayb ibn Hasan al-Ansari
al-Andalusi, who received it from Abu Ayyub ibn Abi Sa'id al-Sanhaji al-Armuzi,
who received it from Abi Muhammad ibn Nur, who received it from Abu al-Fadhl
Abdullah ibn Bashr, who received it from Abu Bashr al-Hasan al-Jujari, who
received it from Sirri Saqti, who received it from Dawûd al-Tâ’i, who received
it from Habîb al-A'jami, who received it from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Sîrîn, who
received it from Malik ibn Anas.
Emerald Tablet
Al-Buni also made regular mention in his work of Plato, Aristotle, Hermes,
Alexander the Great, and obscure Chaldean magicians. In one of his works, he
recounted a story of his discovery of a cache of manuscripts buried under the
pyramids, that included a work of Hermetic thinkers.
His influence
His work is said to have influenced the Hurufis and the New Lettrist
International.
Denis MacEoin in a 1985 article in Studia Iranica said that Al-Buni may
also have indirectly influenced the late Shi'i movement of Babism. MacEoin said
that Babis made widespread use of talismans and magical letters.
Writings
· Shams al-Maʿārif
al-Kubrā (The Great Sun of Gnoses), Cairo, 1928.
· Sharḥ Ism Allāh
al-aʿẓam fī al-rūḥānī, printed in 1357 AH or in Egypt al-Maṭbaʿa al-Maḥmudiyya al-Tujjariyya
bi'l-Azhar.
· Kabs al-iktidā, Oriental Manuscripts
in Durham University Library.
· Berhatiah, Ancient Magick
Conjuration Of Power.
Sumber
Labels:
Mathematician
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