Al-Hariri was an 11th century Arabic scholar and government official from Iraq known for his refined Maqāmāt tales. The Maqāmāt follows a narrator as he has encounters with a clever storyteller who dazzles listeners with vivid descriptions, poetry, and suddenly disappears with gifts. Through humor, adventure, language mastery and verse, the Maqāmāt combines Al-Hariri's experiences in government with his expertise in Arabic. Al-Hariri's most famous work influenced many through its powerful prose and rhyming, and is considered one of the earliest examples of short story writing in Islamic literature.