Hādhā Ḥijāb ʿAẓīm al-Shaʾn wa-al-Burhān: The Mighty Talisman of Rank and Proof: On the Divine Names, Protective Invocations, and Talismanic Seals (Al-Buni Manuscripts Collection)

The first complete English translation of Hijab Azim al-Shan wa-al-Burhan (The Mighty Talisman of Rank and Proof), a treatise on protective talismans and prayers attributed to the thirteenth-century Sufi master Ahmad ibn Ali al-Buni. This work belongs to the tradition of Islamic protective literature (hijab), in which the divine names, Quranic verses, and sacred formulae are combined into written amulets carried for spiritual preservation and divine favor.The treatise opens with a declaration of its protective power and the virtue of carrying it in a state of ritual purity. Al-Buni explains that within the talismans are contained the Greatest Names of God, which grant protection from rebellious spirits, fulfill supplications, and open the doors of provision and mercy. The work proceeds through a sustained sequence of invocations, each combining English prose, ALA-LC transliteration, and the original Arabic script.The central chapters present the divine names in their fullness: the ninety-nine names are recited in sequence with their Arabic originals, followed by adjurations through the prophets, the magic squares, the seven protective veils, and the supplication of Adam. Throughout, the practitioner is instructed to maintain complete purity and sincere intention.All manuscript illustrations are preserved directly from the source: magic squares, talismanic seals, and composite diagrams. Each is presented as a black-and-white facsimile for scholarly reference. The text preserves the three-layer format standard for Islamic esoteric manuscripts: English translation, ALA-LC transliteration, and the original Arabic script for every prayer, invocation, and Quranic passage.Sections on the barbaric names (voces magicae) preserve their exact transliteration without interpretation, as these sacred syllables are transmitted rather than translated. The treatise concludes with invocations for preservation, the supplication of Adam, and a final closing prayer. Read more