He is known for his collection of fifty maqamas, which are literary prose pieces characterized by:
* Protagonists: Often a witty, resourceful trickster named Abu Zayd al-Sarūjī.
* Setting: A marketplace or caravanserai.
* Themes: Social satire, wordplay, and trickery.
* Language: Highly polished and sophisticated Arabic, filled with puns, proverbs, and literary allusions.
Al-Hariri's maqamas were incredibly popular in their time and continue to be studied and admired for their literary artistry. He is considered the master of the genre and his work influenced many subsequent writers.