Yi-Chia Chang
Thesis title: The Tafsīr of Hūd b. Muḥakkim al-Hawwārī (d. 290-1/903): Transmission and Historicity
PhD in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
Year of study: 1
- Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
- School of Literatures, Languages, and Cultures
Contact details
- Email: s2499933@ed.ac.uk
PhD supervisors:
Background
Yi-Chia Chang is a PhD student at Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Edinburgh. His research interests range from Qur'an and Tafsir Studies, Hadith Studies, Ibadism (particularly in North Africa), and Kharijism. In his thesis, he aims to explore the knowledge transmission and social context of medieval Ibadi Islam by analysing the earliest Ibadi Tafsir, produced by Hud b. Muhakkim/Muhakkam al-Hawwari (d. second half of ninth century CE). Prior to his PhD study, he holds an MSc in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, also from the University of Edinburgh (2024), and a BA in Arabic Language and Culture, National Chengchi University, Taiwan (2023).
Qualifications
PhD in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK: 2025 - Present
MSc in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK: 2023 - 2024
BA in Arabic Language and Culture, National Chengchi University, Taiwan: 2019 - 2023
Research summary
My research interests fall into the field of Classical Islamic History and Studies. I use religious texts such as the Qur'an, Hadith, and Tafsir etc. as primary sources to investigate social and political agenda hidden in these texts. My research also centres on medieval Ibadism and Kharijism, particularly how the idea and doctrines of Kharijism and Ibadism were formulated both in the lens of proto-Sunni Muslims and Khariji-Ibadi Muslims themselves. I am also interest in the evolution of modern Tafsir and Hadith studies methodology. A few of my works, including my MSc dissertation, also addressed isnad-cum-matn analysis by critically engaged with its prospects and limits.
Current research interests
Currently, I focus on my PhD project, tentatively titled "The Transmission of Ibāḍī Knowledge: A Historical Analysis of the Tafsīr of Hūd b. Muḥakkim al-Hawwārī (d. in the 2nd Half of the 3rd/9th Century)." In this thesis, I aim to explore the redaction history of the earliest Ibadi Tafsir authored by Hud b. Muhakkim al-Hawwari, a Maghribi Ibadi exegete. In his Tafsir, it is evident that although he uses Malik Basran scholar Yahya b. Sallam al-Basri (d. 824)'s Exegesis as basis lower text, he redacted and reshaped the Ibn Sallam's Tafsir and finally produced a new "Ibadi-Maghribi" commentary. By revisiting new manuscripts, reconstructing texts, and examining Ibadi and other North African historical sources, it is expected to unpack the socio-political context of knowledge transmission practice among medieval Maghribi Ibadi Muslims and how they construct their identity.Past research interests
During my BA study, I am also interested in contemporary topics such as the formation of Taiwanese Muslim community and its status quo. I participated an ethnographical fieldwork project in Longgang, Taoyuan to study how youth and third-generation Muslim immigrants in Taiwan perceive themselves within a "secular" society and how this alienation impacts on their piety and identity.Conference details
Chang, Yi-Chia. "The Historicity of Anti-Kharijite Hadith Traditions: An Isnad-cum-matn Analysis." Sixth Islamic and Middle Eastern Graduate Conference. National Chengchi University, February 2025.
Chang, Yi-Chia. "Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri's Anti-Kharijite Hadith Tradition and Pro-Umayyad Tendency: An Isnad-cum-matn Analysis." ISIC 2025. National Chengchi University and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), November 2025.
Book Chapter
Chang, Yi-Chia. "Chapter 5: al-Nasa'i's al-Mujtaba and Prayer in Islam." In Hadith and Islamic Culture: Topics, Redaction, and Interpretation, by I-Wen Su and Yi-Chia Chang. (forthcoming)