Al-Hariri of Basra

Al-Hariri (c. 1054–1122) was an Arab poet and scholar of the Bedouin Banu Harram tribe, who spent most of his life in Basra. After studying jurisprudence he became an official writer, moving between Basra's business affairs and Baghdad's literary circles.

His fame rests on the Maqamat al-Hariri, fifty anecdotes in rhymed prose ranked among the most admired works of Arabic literature. He also wrote a long grammar poem and died in Basra in 1122.