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A Malassay (Harari language: መለሳይ Mäläsay, Somali language: Maalasay) was a member of the elite cavalry units that formed the Adal Sultanate's household troops. According to Manfred Kropp, Malassay were the Harari people armed forces.
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi was originally a Malassay serving under a Garad named Abun Adashe prior to becoming leader of the Adal Sultanate. In the sixteenth century the main troops of Adal Sultanate's leader Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi were the Malassay during the Ethiopian-Adal war. According to Mohammed Hassen the Malassay under Ahmed consisted of the Harla and Harari people ethnic groups. Emperor Lebna Dengel chronicles states the Malassay alongside Abubaker Qecchin were the Muslim enemy that invaded. A few notable Malassay were Amir Husain bin Abubaker the Gaturi people and Alus the Hegano of Sim during Adal's conflict with the Habesha people. According to sixteenth century Adal writer Arab Faqīh, the Malassay participated in the conquest of Abyssinia at the decisive Battle of Shimbra Kure. Ethiopian historian Merid Wolde Aregay has connected the Harari people, who are Semitic speakers of the Harar region, to the Malassay Adalite mounted troops that played a key role in the battle at Shimbre Kure.
In the reign of Emperor Sarsa Dengel, the Hadiya people Kingdom was supported by 500 Malassay donning cuirass who had arrived from Harar territory to battle Ethiopia. Sarsa Dengel chronicles mentions Malassay rebels of Elmag (an unidentified group) and the Somalis under their Harari language moniker Tumur had deserted thus Manfred Kropp argues the Malassay were of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Under the seventeenth century Emirate of Harar, the entire army was commanded by a Garad who had several militias under him labeled the Malassay. In the contemporary era, the term Malassay survives as a subgroup of the Harari people. According to Umar, Malga-Gello the forefather of the Siltʼe people's clan Ulbareg was a captain of the Malassay.
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