Muhammad Ilyas (November 23, 1911, Kraksaan, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia – December 5, 1970, Jakarta, Indonesia, at the age of 59) was the Minister of Religious Affairs in 1955-1959 in the Burhanuddin Harahap Cabinet, Second Ali Sastroamidjojo Cabinet, and the Djuanda Cabinet in the reign of the first Indonesian president Sukarno.[1] He also served as Indonesian ambassador to Saudi Arabia for six years, from 1959.[2]
KH Muhammad Ilyas is the in-law of Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni, Minister of Religious Affairs in the United Indonesia Cabinet from 2004-2009.
In 1969, he led the Indonesian delegation following a Summit, which was attended by 26 Islamic countries in Rabat, Morocco which discussed the Palestine-Israel conflict.[3]