Iyasu Mohammed Ali (ልጅ ኢያሱ) - the young uncrowned Ethiopian Emperor who attempted to unite the Horn of Africa under the banner of Islam and rule with Shariah.

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Lij Iyasu was a member of the Royal Family in the Shewan House of the Solomonic Dynasty. He was the son of Ras Mikael of Wollo (an ethnic Oromo born as ‘Mohammed Ali’ before forcefully converting to Christianity) as well as Shewaregga Menelik, the daughter of Menelik II.

Due to him being the grandson of Menelik II, he was eligible to be the heir of the throne. Before Menelik II died, he declared that Lij Iyasu shall be the one to replace him after he dies. As Lij Iyasu was still in his youth he wasn’t officially crowned as Emperor.

Therefore, Ras Bitwoded Tessema was placed as the regent. Though he was seen as unfit for the role of emperor, he still became the country’s leader and ruled from 12/12/1913 - 27/09/1916 with the help and influence of his father Mohammed Ali.

The year 1915 was huge for Lij Iyasu as he spent his time in cities like Harar - with his companion Abdallahi Tsadiq (standing far right) - Dire Dawa, Jigjiga and modern day Djibouti and his kind behaviour towards the Muslims had the Orthodox Church suspicious of his actions.

As his relations with the Germans, Turks and the neighbouring HOA nations increased, he formed alliances with people like Mohammed Abdallah Hassan and Shaykh Hassan Barsane, who were leading wars against the Brits and Italians in Somalia.

Italians later revealed that one of their Somali spies witnessed Lij Iyasu declare that he was Muslim to other Muslim leaders by swearing on the Qur’an. European colonial powers began supporting a coup d'état against Iyasu believing he was going to join WW1 on the opposing side.

For this suspicion and for his attempts at unite the HOA with Shari’ah, he was deposed in 27/09/1916 in favour of his aunt Empress Zewditu I.

Lij Iyasu was known for his quote “If I don’t make Ethiopia Muslim, then I’m not Iyasu”.

From the day he was deposed to his death, 25/11/1935, he was mistreated and put in prison in multiple times by Haile Selassie I - in which he escaped many times but eventually died. To this day his cause of death and place of burial remains unknown.

May Allah ﷻ grant Lij Iyasu Jannatul Firdaws. May Allah ﷻ loosen his grave and turn his dream into a reality.