This study aims to review international studies on Islamic business ethics and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sustainability while mapping major research themes and discussing the role of ethical principles in supporting economic, social and environmental sustainability.
This study uses a hybrid approach (bibliometrics and a systematic literature review). The review synthesizes the influence of Islamic business ethics on economic, social and environmental sustainability in SMEs, while bibliometric data from Scopus and Web of Science (2000–2025) map research trends and key areas.
The findings show a rapid increase in Islamic business ethics-SME studies after 2015, driven by sustainability agendas and ethical concerns during COVID-19. The literature is organized into loosely connected thematic clusters, with geographic concentration in Southeast Asia. Islamic business ethics enhances SME sustainability through ethical leadership, moral orientation, organizational fairness and employee commitment, contributing to economic and social dimensions. However, environmental sustainability remains under-explored and is addressed indirectly.
This study is limited to English-language publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, a geographic focus on Southeast Asia and limited application of environmental sustainability concepts within Islamic ethics in SME studies.
SME development strategies should integrate ethical training with financial and technical support, while Islamic economic institutions play a key role in promoting ethical, inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship.
This study offers two key contributions: integrating bibliometric mapping and a systematic review to reconceptualize Islamic business ethics as a sustainability-oriented mechanism, and proposing an ethical framework supporting SME prosperity.
