His chronicle, the "Dhail" or "Mudhayyal Ta'rikh Dimashq" (Continuation of the Chronicle of Damascus) was an extension of the chronicle of Hilal bin al-Muhassin al-Sabi', covering the years 1056 to al-Qalanisi's death in 1160. This chronicle is one of the few contemporary accounts of the First Crusade and its immediate aftermath from the Muslim perspective, making it not only a valuable source for modern historians, but also for later 12th-century chronicles, including Ali ibn al-Athir. He also witnessed the siege of Damascus in 1148. An English language edition of the chronicle covering the period 1096–1160 was translated and extracted by H. A. R. Gibb.