Islamic Economy and Sustainability: A Bibliometric Analysis Using R

Abstract

Using a literature review and bibliometric analysis, this research aims to analyse the relationship between the Islamic economy and sustainability. The study aimed to systematically document the intellectual structure, volume, tendencies of knowledge development, the author, and source impact. Using Microsoft Excel and R Studio, information is compiled from Scopus databases and analysed. We gathered a searchable database of the 76 most relevant papers from the last twenty-two years based on a vast amount of literature. Preliminary data suggests that between 2000 and 2022, there has been an increase in the number of works written on the Islamic economy. The bibliometric study using R identifies the subject’s most influential journals, authors, and papers. This study demonstrates that a new research topic can be derived by condensing the essential aspects of the Islamic economy and sustainability into a single concept, thereby opening up new research avenues in both the expansive field of the Islamic economy and the relatively new and hotly debated field of sustainability.

1. Introduction

1.1. Existing Knowledge of the Islamic Economy

Islamic economics, which is written in Arabic as (الاقتصاد الإسلامي), is the study of economics and economic activities and processes through the lens of Islamic teachings and principles. Islam has its own moral rules and values about how people and groups should act [1]. In Islamic economics, the focus is on equity and justice for all. Trade that adheres to Islamic law is encouraged (Islamic law). Because it is based on the principle of mutual benefit, the Islamic economic system is both stable and long-term [2]. “Everything belongs to God, and wealth is held by individuals in trust.” This is a fundamental Islamic principle. Humans are obligated by their inherent right to preserve and maintain the environment. Therefore, Islam clearly specifies a plan for long-term economic development and progress. Islamic economic ideas encourage economic equality, according to which wealth should spread throughout society; hence, sustainability initiatives should be prioritised [3,4,5]. However, this sustainability initiative must receive strong support from the government and the local community so that the Islamic economy will continue to grow harmoniously [6]. This claim is very coincidental, given that Islamic economics strongly emphasises promoting communal, non-individualistic ideals and against selfishness. This is one of the distinctive features of Islamic economics since it sees social values as essential to the functioning of an economic system [7,8,9].

1.2. Research Motivation

Islamic economics has been widely studied in academic and practitioner forums, but many questions remain concerning its actual practice and success, especially in light of current sustainability concerns [3,10,11,12,13,14]. The actual practice of Islamic economics has not yet been fully applied; therefore, efforts to promote sustainability activities in many crucial sectors have not yet been fully fulfilled [15,16,17,18]. People thought economic growth was necessary and enough to bring about economic development. Later, it became clear that economic growth does not always mean economic development [19]. Despite these concerns, the Islamic economic system offers the greatest solution [20].

For this reason, looking back at previous research on Islamic economics is a helpful way to better comprehend the current state of Islamic economics as a long-term solution to society’s current economic dilemma [12,21]. Therefore, this study aims to analyse and assess previous research on the Islamic economy and sustainability, assessing the present status and trend of publishing, the most prominent contributors (authors, articles, and sources), and how the publication’s theme has evolved in the Islamic Economy and Sustainability.

1.3. Research Question

The following research questions (RQ) demonstrate the review activities and process using bibliometric, text-mining, and visualisation tools (i.e., R studio) as shown in

Table 1. Research Questions (RQ).

No.	RQ	Analysis Procedure
1	What is the current state and trend of publication in Islamic Economy and Sustainability?	Document Type Source type Total number of contributors Number of publications by year/country Annual growth rate.
2	What are the most influential contributors to Islamic Economy and Sustainability?	Most influential authors Most relevant sources Most influential countries Most influential source title
3	What are the most influential articles, authors, and sources on Islamic Economy and Sustainability?	Highly cited documents Author Impact Lotka’s Law Source Impact Bradford’s Law Co-occurrence network
4	How has the theme of the publication evolved in Islamic Economy and Sustainability?	Thematic evolution Trend Topic Word Dynamic Word Cloud Treemap

.

After briefly going over essential definitions for Islamic economics and sustainability, this article moves on to a more in-depth discussion and analysis. The methods used in this investigation, including the data searching process, data collection, extraction, and analysis, are described in the methodology section of the paper. The following section explains the research findings. The discussion and conclusions section of this paper highlights the study’s findings, describing in depth the study’s key findings and their implications and explaining the study’s limitations and future directions.

2. Overview of Islamic Economy and Sustainability

Islamic economics is the systematic study of the production, distribution, and allocation of resources connected to products and services and the distribution of income and wealth in the economy, according to the Quran and Sunnah [9]. According to the Quran (57:25), Islamic economics is grounded on Islamic spiritual principles and is founded on a paradigm with socio-economic justice as its primary goal. Unlike current economic systems, established based on prosaic philosophy, the Islamic economic system is governed directly by Allah Almighty. Furthermore, the Holy Quran discusses all facets of the Islamic economic system and the related rules in great detail. The Divine Book covers all these topics in depth, from production to consumption to distribution to the financial system.

Examining the link between the Islamic economy and sustainability reveals that its present concerns are quite pertinent [21]. However, the topic of how much involvement commercial organisations should have in sustainable development efforts is still debatable. At the same time, the fundamental issues remain unresolved despite numerous discussions and studies on the Islamic economy and sustainability [22]. The finance industry, for instance, is far from perfect. It is facing several ongoing challenges that need to be addressed head-on. Even so, some past studies think differently; there is a lot of potential for Islamic finance to promote long-term economic development by broadening access to finance, financing infrastructure projects, and expanding the reach of Takaful [12,23]. Therefore, it is appropriate to discuss the amount to which previous academics have studied this topic at this time.

Table 2. Summary of previous studies in Islamic economy and sustainability.

Author	Domain/Search Strategy/Title	Data Source & Scope	TDE	Bibliometric Attributes Examined
[17]	Islamic economics and finance	Scopus (2004–2014)	559	Co-occurrence of Keywords, Citations Documents; Co-Citation Relationships, and Bibliographic Coupling
[18]	Bibliometric Analysis of Islamic Finance Literature	Web of Science (2008–2020)	1922	Number of Publications, Author, Institution, Country, Source, and Co-Occurrence Keywords
[24]	Islamic Moral Economy: A Scientometric Using R	Scopus	182	Type of Publication Publications Per Year, Highest Citation, Productive Journals, Authors Productivity, Keywords Trends, and Publication Trend
[25]	Energy Economics in Islamic Countries: A Bibliometric Review	Scopus (2011–2020)	45	Type of Publication Publications Per Year, Frequency of Paper, Publication Trend, Highest Citation, and Productive Journals
[26]	Bibliometric Analysis of Islamic Economics and Finance Journals in Indonesia	Sinta 2	110	Frequency of Paper, Publications Per Year, Highest Citation, Productive Journals, Co-Citation Networks, Co-Occurrence
[27]	Islamic Moral Economy: A Scientometric Using R	Scopus	182	Document Types, Three Fields Plot, Authors Impact, Most Relevant WordsWord Cloud, Trend Topics, Thematic Evolution, Conceptual Structure Map, and Topic Dendrogram

TDE = Total documents examined.

illustrates some earlier studies on Islamic economics that still need more studies to grasp the link between the Islamic economy and sustainability fully.

The overall purpose of this content article review is to provide a valuable, solid, informative, and critical summary of a well-defined topic/area to the reader. Based on

Table 3. Main content of the articles.

Main Content	Total Articles	Total (%)
Islamic economy	33	43.4
Economy Development Model	20	26.3
Sustainability	13	17.1
Financial Sustainability	6	7.9
Others	4	5.3
Total	76	100.0

, we conducted a content analysis of 76 papers covering the intersection of Islamic economics and sustainability and discovered that several different research issues have been addressed by previous scholars in this area. We conducted a content analysis and identified five (5) overarching themes that emerged from the data.

Islamic economy is the first and most discussed sub-theme. In particular, 33 articles discuss this topic. The content of their discussion includes (1) Islamic economic characteristics, (2) the suitability and applicability of Islamic economy practices, (3) the challenges for Islamic financial institutions, (4) the involvement of Islamic microfinance institutions in building the national economy, and (5) the implementation and management of the Islamic economic roles. Overall, this first theme touches in general on the Islamic economy which contributes to the well-being of the economy from an Islamic perspective.

The second sub-theme is related to the economy development model. In this sub-theme their discussion is more directed at (1) models of economic growth and sustainability, (2) model of the circular economy, (3) economic development, effective and correct policies, (4) the suitability and applicability of Islamic equity-based microfinance models, (5) the monetary model and policy, and (6) economy development and sustainability model. This sub-theme discusses various aspects related to the economic development model that affects the operation and implementation of the Islamic economy. This research uncovered a significant relationship between conventional economic models and the long-term viability of Islamic economics.

The third and fourth sub-themes, namely, financial sustainability and sustainability itself, are closely tied to sustainability. A total of 13 articles discusses sustainability issues and 6 articles study financial sustainability. There is a clear similarity when these two sub-themes are directly related to sustainability. Their discussion focused on (1) the behaviour of Islamic banks regarding their financial sustainability, (2) enhancing financial sustainability among commercial banks, (3) sustainable supply chain management, (4) blended Islamic finance for impactful small and medium enterprises, and (5) the sustainability of businesses that are influenced by local Islamic-based cultural values. From the content analysis conducted, the published articles touch on financial sustainability among small businesses (SMEs). The influence of Islamic intellectual capital and Islamic financial performance on the business sustainability of Islamic banks is one of the significant subjects covered by earlier academics. Innovation is a crucial activity to maintain the longevity of the company, and sustainability requires a fair and equitable economic system. These concerns are not any less vital. The social failings of Islamic banking and finance as well as the social dimensions of human sustainability are also covered in this sub-theme.

“Others” is the last sub-theme, making up 5.3% of the overall article. The focus articles are somewhat different but still touch on the subject of the first study. Among these are (1) the way Islamic money is transformed, (2) the common denominator in all economic interactions is money, (3) both industrialised and emerging economies experience poverty, (4) economies in the Middle East often lag behind those of international competition. This last sub-theme is still crucial since it is supported by prior research on Islamic sustainability and economics.

3. Methodology

3.1. Searching Strategy

A search strategy is a well-structured list of search terms. The search approach will integrate keyword search principles for accurate and comprehensive data [28,29,30]. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) and bibliometric analyses were employed in this study (see Figure 1). A detailed examination of the knowledge gained over time is provided by this method [31]. Bibliographic data is typically filtered and refined using bibliometric procedures, such as locating relevant articles in a database (such as Scopus). The VOSviewer software tool is used to display the data at this step. It is possible to identify and forecast future research topics using bibliometric analysis [32]. Scopus, a database from Elsevier, comprises over 50 million entries from over 5000 publications [33]. Our university also acquired the Scopus database at the same time. This is the main reason why we choose the Scopus database as our primary data source.

3.2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

At the beginning of the search, all search results are examined for titles and abstracts following previously established criteria (refer to Table 1 and

Table 4. Search criteria.

Scopus Category	Searching Criteria.	No of Article
Topic 1	“Islamic AND economy”	2162
Topic 2	“Islamic AND Sustainability”	493
Topic 3	“Islamic AND economy AND sustainability”	78
Research years	2000–2022	78
Document Type	All types of publication	76
Language	English	76
Author name	All	76

). They then examined and summarised all publications that had passed the initial selection procedure. Every piece of research is based on its volume of publication, the most prominent journals and authors, and the research themes that were frequently discussed. Due to the plethora of literature on the Islamic economy and sustainability, we compiled a database of 76 articles published between 2000 and 2022.

3.3. Extraction Techniques

Figure 1 shows that 76 journal articles were exported in an application-compatible format. The downloaded database was rigorously analysed to improve research accuracy. The extraction technique starts by searching for the keywords “Islamic AND Economy”, followed by the keywords “Islamic AND Sustainability”, and then looking at the final keywords “Islamic AND Economy AND Sustainability”. For this research, we used Excel (.csv) and VOSviewer. VOSviewer software is a free tool for bibliometric academic scholars that displays bibliometric maps graphically. The final Scopus database provides the most useful article title, author, keyword, and citation information, including all references. Analysis of bibliometric data is helpful because it may discover and anticipate future research ideas [34].

3.4. Choice of Synthesis Method (Analysis)

The preliminary investigative process included descriptive analysis. We drew a series of graphs in Excel to determine the trajectory of the development of publications on Islamic economics and sustainability principles throughout time. Meanwhile, in the following step, the bibliometric analysis technique was used. Citations are used in this technique to find the most influential papers and researchers on a specific topic. Other indicators, such as the H-index, total citations, and citations per publication, might reflect academic prominence. Depending on the outcome, co-citation analysis might focus on the journal, author, keyword co-citations, etc. Our sample database was viewed via VOSviewer and R studio, which allowed us to create “network maps” based on article linkages.

4. Result

4.1. Document Profiles

The articles that were found spanned the years 2000 to 2022. Only after 2000 did publications start to become more organised, and they also began to increase gradually and consistently in number. Based on the total of 76 documents (

Table 5. Document Profiles.

Description	Results
Main Information About Data
Timespan	2000:2022
Sources (Journals, Books, etc.)	65
Documents	76
Annual Growth Rate %	11.03
Document Average Age	4.37
Average citations per doc	4.897
References	3928
Document Contents
Keywords Plus (ID)	195
Author’s Keywords (DE)	274
Authors
Authors	180
Authors of single-authored docs	21
Authors Collaboration
Single-authored docs	25
Co-Authors per Doc	2.49
International co-authorships %	14.1
Document Types
Article	56 (73.68%)
Book	4 (5.26%)
Book Chapter	4 (5.26%)
Conference Paper	3 (3.94%)
Conference Review	2 (2.63%)
Review	7 (9.21%)

) taken into account, there is 11.03% annual growth, and the average citation per document is 4897, while the total number of references involved is 3928. Furthermore, most work in this area is published as articles (73.68 percent), followed by reviews (9.21 percent).

RQ1: What is the current state and trend of publication in Islamic Economy and Sustainability?

The number of publications published connected to the concepts of Islamic economy and sustainability has increased over time, as shown in Figure 2. The subject and scope of the study on Islamic economy and sustainability have received substantial attention from prior studies, according to the number of publications generated. Based on preliminary data from the Scopus database, the Islamic economics field began to gain more attention in the early 2000s, despite the relatively small number of publications on the subject then. The increase started in 2014 until now.

According to the data presented in Figure 2, only 14 out of 76 publications were successfully published between 2000 and 2014. This low number of articles may be a result of this topic’s unpopularity in mainstream media discussion. The inability of industry players and academics to see the significance of Islamic economics in a broader context has stifled dialogue. However, from 2015 to 2020, the number of articles began to climb. Following that, the number of publications decreased from 2020 to 2022. The global Covid-19 pandemic may have exacerbated this condition. Nevertheless, the number of articles published from 2019 to June 2022 was the highest at 35. Specifically, the highest number of papers were published in 2020 (12), followed by 2021 (9) and 2018 (8).

Figure 2 and Figure 3 show that the top ten countries and categories of papers relating to the Islamic economy and sustainability are highlighted. At the same time, Malaysia (with 22 articles), Indonesia (with 11 articles), and Oman (with six articles) are the top three countries that publish the most articles in this field. Even though most publications are in the form of articles (74.35%) and review papers (8.97%), many other types of documents are also published. Overall, Islamic economics and sustainability is a topic that is actively discussed in Malaysia, while conferences are popular places for exploring and exchanging ideas.

Despite the ongoing uncertainty related to the pandemic, projections for worldwide Muslim spending in 2022 indicate a 9.1% increase in the Islamic economy sectors based on the current status and trend in Islamic economy and sustainability [34]. Concurrently, this assertion is supported by the fact that several key drivers continue to underpin the global Islamic economy. These drivers include the world’s large and growing Muslim population, the increasing desire to adhere to Islamic ethical values relating to the consumption, and the increasing number of national strategies dedicated to the development of halal products and services. Overall, the Islamic economy has risen to the top of the agenda in many nations and is regarded as a crucial component of economic recovery efforts.

RQ2: What are the most influential contributors to Islamic Economy and Sustainability?

In this second research question, the study focuses on the most influential authors, the author’s production over time, the most influential countries and institutions, and the most influential source title in the area of Islamic economy and sustainability.

Table 6. The most influential authors.

Author’s Name	Title	Journal	TC	AF	TCpY	PY
Choudhury Ma	Micro-Money, Finance and Real Economy Interrelationship in The Framework of Islamic Ontology of Unity of Knowledge and The World System of Social Econ	International Journal of Social Economics	5	3.0	1.000	2018
Choudhury Ma	Unity of Knowledge Versus Kant’s Heteronomy with A Reference to The Problem of Money, Finance and Real Economic Relations in A New Global Financial Arc	International Journal of Social Economics	8	-	0.615	2010
Choudhury Ma	Operation of Dual Monetary Policy for Stabilization Role in Indonesia: An Islamic Political Economy Approach	International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research	1	-	0.067	2008
Ismail Ag	Financial sustainability & outreached of MFIS: a comparative study of aim in Malaysia and RDS of Islami bank Bangladesh	Australian journal of basic and applied sciences	11	0.95	0.917	2011
Ismail Ag	Taking Stock of The Waqf-Based Islamic Microfinance Model	International Journal of Social Economics	12	-	2	2017
Ismail Ag	Sukuk and Monetary Policy Transmission in Indonesia: The Role of Asset Price and Exchange Rate Channels	Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research	1	-	0.500	2021
Oseni Ua	An Islamic Finance Model for The Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in France	Journal of King Abdulaziz University, Islamic Economics	6	0.83	0.600	2013
Oseni Ua	Banking on ICT: The Relevance of Online Dispute Resolution in The Islamic Banking Industry in Malaysia	Information and Communications Technology Law	4	-	0.500	2015
Javaid O	The Principles of a Circular Economy in The Light of Islamic Values and Beliefs	Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization	0	2.00	0.000	2022
Javaid O	An Islamic Vision and Approach for Entrepreneurship: Developing Through a Multi-Stage Comparative Analysis of Systems, Ideologies and Code of Ethics	International Journal of Ethics and Systems	0	-	0.000	2022
TOK E	Re-Thinking Sustainable Development Within Islamic Worldviews: A Systematic Literature Review	Sustainability	0	0.67	0	2022
TOK E	Embedding Value-Based Principles in The Culture of Islamic Banks To Enhance Their Sustainability, Resilience, and Social Impact	Sustainability	1	-	1	2022

Notes: TC = total citations; AF = articles fractionalised; PY = publication year; TCpY = total citation per year.

reveals that the sample database contained the most influential authors and articles. In general, there are five influential authors, namely, Choudhury Ma (2010; 2010; 2018), Ismail Ag (2011; 2017; 2021), Oseni Ua (2013; 2015), Javaid O (2022), and Tok E (2022). Ismail Ag. Has the highest total number of citations, with 24, followed by Choudhury Ma, with 14 citations. At the same time, two new authors (Javaid, 2022 and Tok, 2022) also contribute to publishing the Islamic economy and sustainability. According to Table 6, there are two articles with the most citations. Among them are (1) “Taking Stock of the Islamic Microfinance Model Based on Waqf” and (2) “Financial sustainability & outreach of MFIS: a comparative analysis of goal in Malaysia and RDS of Islami bank Bangladesh”, with a total of 12 and 11 citations, respectively.

Table 7. The most influential source.

No.	Journal	PY	TC	NP	h Index	g Index	m Index
1	International Journal of Social Economics	2010	26	4	3	4	0.231
2	Al-Shajarah	2015	11	2	2	2	0.250
3	Institutions and Economies	2016	12	2	2	2	0.286
4	Sustainability (Switzerland)	2019	23	5	2	4	0.500
5	Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal	2019	2	1	1	1	0.250
6	Advanced Science Letters	2017	1	1	1	1	0.167
7	Antiquity	2016	17	1	1	1	0.143
8	Asian Economic and Financial Review	2021	2	1	1	1	0.500
9	Asian Social Science	2015	3	1	1	1	0.125
10	Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences	2011	11	1	1	1	0.083

Notes: PY = publication year; TC = total citations; NP = number of publications; h = h-index; m = m index; and g = g-index.

reveals that the sample database contained the most influential journals. Business and economics journals have generally dominated Islamic economy and sustainability-related publications. With four papers, a three h-index, and 26 citations, the International Journal of Social Economics has the most publications. This circumstance is partly attributable to the fact that the journal has been publishing since 2010. Al-Shajarah and Institutions and Economics have two publications and eleven and twelve citations, respectively. This study also shows other journals outside the business and economics disciplines, including Advanced Science Letters and Antiquity, with one (1) and seventeen (17) citations.

The most esteemed academic journals are peer-reviewed, which means that experts in their respective fields, other than the author and editor, assess each piece before publication. They should ensure that new information is presented in the context of what is previously known, that the researcher employed appropriate techniques, and that the paper contributes to the field. According to Figure 4, the ten most relevant sources on Islamic economics and sustainability are shown. The Sustainability journal is the most prominent publication in this discipline, followed by the International Journal of Social and Economic Studies and the International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. This journal is very significant since its publishing procedure involves peer review, ensuring its accuracy and contribution to its respective fields.

According to the aforementioned data, there is a relationship between author esteem and academic accomplishment that is beneficial, suggesting that emphasising the Islamic economy and sustainability-related concerns will have a positive impact on the economy and society. A thorough investigation of this subject is essential, given that investments in the Islamic economy sector in a few OIC and non-OIC economies grew by 118% from USD11.8 billion in 2019/20 to USD25.7 billion in 2020/21 [34]. The biggest investment volume was seen in the UAE, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with the UAE accounting for 16% of all deals. Moreover, halal food and Islamic finance, in terms of sectors, accounted for 15.5% and 66.4% of the total transaction value, respectively [26].

RQ3: What are the most influential articles and sources on Islamic Economy and Sustainability?

4.1.1. Highly Cited Documents/Papers

This prestigious ranking acknowledges the world’s best researchers whose Web of Science citation records are rated in the top (i.e., one percent) of their discipline. Being included on the most cited documents list indicates that you are a successful and influential scholar. Moreover, the visibility and potential reputation of the researchers’ affiliations with larger institutions increases substantially with the number of times their publications are mentioned [35]. However, the total of citations an article receives is influenced by various external variables that do not seem to be directly connected to the “quality” of the article’s content [36]. According to

Table 8. Most cited documents/papers.

Paper	Total Citations	% Cited	TC per Year	% TCpY	Normalised TC	% NTC
Belal Ar, 2015, J Bus Ethics	68	33.7	8.5	19.6	4	15.0
Ali Bja, 2021, J Manag Inform Decis Sci	22	10.9	11	25.4	5.15	19.3
Fuks D, 2016, Antiquity	17	8.4	2.43	5.6	1.66	6.2
Zakir Hossain M, 2009, Humanomics	16	7.9	1.14	2.6	1	3.7
Su Z, 2021, Sustainability	15	7.4	7.5	17.3	3.51	13.1
Hassan Y, 2019, J Islam Mark	14	6.9	3.5	8.1	2.72	10.2
Mohd Nor S, 2016, Environ Dev Sustainability	14	6.9	2	4.6	1.37	5.1
Fuks D, 2020, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A	13	6.4	4.33	10.0	3.45	12.9
Abdullah R, 2017, Int J Soc Econ	12	5.9	2	4.6	2.86	10.7
Bhuiyan Ab, 2011, Aust J Basic Appl Sci	11	5.4	0.92	2.1	1	3.7

Notes: PY = publication year; TC = total citations.

, the ten most cited documents and papers on the field of Islamic economics and sustainability are shown. Belal Ar (2015), who has 68 (33.7%) total citations, is among the most notable, followed by Ali Bja (2021), who has 22 (10.9%) total citations. Other papers range from 11 to 17 total citations. The topics covered, meanwhile, are relatively wide and not particularly related to Islamic sustainability and economics.

4.1.2. Author Impact

Based on the h-Index, authors whose papers have been published can also be ordered based on the ensuing impact [37]. The most commonly used index is the H-index (an author has an h-index of h if they have at least h works that have been referenced h times). The g-index comprises the g articles with the most citations [38]. Meanwhile, the m-index is calculated by dividing the h-index by the number of years a scientist has been active.

Table 9. The 10 most impactful authors.

Author (s)	h-Index	g-Index	m-Index	TC	% TC	NP	PY_Start
Bar-Oz G	2	2	0.286	30	12.6	2	2016
Choudhury Ma	2	3	0.133	14	5.9	3	2008
Fuks D	2	2	0.286	30	12.6	2	2016
Ismail Ag	2	3	0.167	24	10.1	3	2011
Oseni Ua	2	2	0.2	10	4.2	2	2013
Tepper Y	2	2	0.286	30	12.6	2	2016
Weiss E	2	2	0.286	30	12.6	2	2016
A Wahid N	1	1	0.5	1	0.4	1	2021
Abd Majid Ms	1	1	0.5	1	0.4	1	2021
Abdelsalam O	1	1	0.125	68	28.6	1	2015

Notes: PY = publication year; TC = total citations; NP = number of publications; h = h-index; m = m index; and g = g-index.

shows the authors with the highest h-index obtained by Bar-Oz G, Choudhury Ma, Fuks D, Ismail Ag, Oseni Ua, Tepper Y, and Weiss E with the achievement of a total 2 h-index that describe significant impact. Then followed by three authors (i.e., A Whaid N, Abd Majid Ms, Abdelsalam O) with an h-index value of 1, with a fairly good impact. Additionally, Choudhury Ma and Ismail Ag demonstrate the highest g-index value. Besides, the most active authors are Bar-Oz G, Fuks D, Tepper Y, and Weiss E with an m-index value of 0.286. Finally, the most significant contributor with the highest citation (i.e., TC) is Abdelsalam O with a total of 68 (28.6%) citations, followed by four authors (Bar-Oz O, Fuks D, Tepper Y, and Weiss E) with a total citation of 30 (12.6%). All this information was produced around the year 2011 to 2021.

4.1.3. Lotka’s Law

Lotka’s Law is the well-known “inverse square law of scientific creation”. It argues that the proportion of authors publishing a particular number of articles to those publishing a single article remains constant [39]. In other words, it describes the authors’ frequency of publication in any field [40]. Since then, several academics from different disciplines have utilised Lotka’s Law to analyse author productivity and publications [39]. Figure 5 presents the distributions of the observed and the fitted Lotka’s. Between 1 and 3 papers have been published. Figure 5 below clearly illustrates that the number of authors participating decreases as the number of articles published increases. Since Lotka’s law provides a framework for assessing an author’s productivity over time, it is clear that this area of the Islamic economy is quite dynamic and attracts a lot of interest from academics and practitioners. Knowing the authorship production pattern of Islamic economic literature will be valuable for both collective and individual interests.

4.1.4. Source Impact

Journal assessments are determined based on more than just the quantity produced or its relevancy [27]. This study, however, is also conducted utilizing the impact of each journal that publishes a paper on the topic of Islamic economy and sustainability by calculating the journal’s h-index, g-index, m-index, and total citation. According to the statistics in

Table 10. The 10 most impactful source.

Source	h-Index	g-Index	m-Index	TC	% TC	NP	PY_Start
International Journal of Social Economics	3	4	0.231	26	24.1	4	2010
Al-Shajarah	2	2	0.25	11	10.2	2	2015
Institutions and Economies	2	2	0.286	12	11.1	2	2016
Sustainability (Switzerland)	2	4	0.5	23	21.3	5	2019
Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal	1	1	0.25	2	1.9	1	2019
Advanced Science Letters	1	1	0.167	1	0.9	1	2017
Antiquity	1	1	0.143	17	15.7	1	2016
Asian Economic and Financial Review	1	1	0.5	2	1.9	1	2021
Asian Social Science	1	1	0.125	3	2.8	1	2015
Australian Journal of Basic And Applied Sciences	1	1	0.083	11	10.2	1	2011

, the International Journal of Social Economics ranks first with an h-index of 3, g-index of 4, m-index of 0.21, and total citations of 26. As such, the International Journal of Social Economics has the greatest impact on the study of the Islamic economy and sustainability. In comparison, the second, third, and fourth positions are Al-Shajarah, Institutions and Economies, and Sustainability (Switzerland) with 2 h-index. Their total number of citations varied from 11 to 23. Concerning journals with h-index 1, there are 6 journals with a total number of citations ranging from 1 to 17, which shows the journal has a minimal impact.

4.1.5. Bradford’s Law

Bradford’s rule predicts that the number of journals in the second and third zones will be n and n2 times bigger than the first zone; hence, it should be able to forecast the total number of journals carrying articles on a subject if the core and middle zone numbers are known [40,41]. Once the total number of articles is known, it should be able to estimate how much pertinent material is missing from an incomplete search. Given the time-consuming and substantial work necessary to discover sources on a topic for a systematic review, it would be advantageous for such research if Bradford’s law properly predicted the amount (and, if feasible, quality) of the literature [39].

The image above shows a journal categorization based on Bradford law, which divides journals by production level into core, intermediate, and wide groups. The key journal groupings are coloured and annotated. This category includes journals having the most Islamic economy research output during a specific time. Figure 6 shows the ten most relevant sources on the subject of Islamic economy and sustainability. The Sustainability (five papers) journal is the most prominent publication in this discipline, followed by the International Journal of Social and Economic Studies (four papers) and the International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (three papers). This journal is very significant since its publishing procedure involves peer review, ensuring its accuracy and contribution to its respective fields. Overall, a growing number of studies have found that exposure to the Islamic economy compared with Islamic fundamental teaching is associated with the economy and sustainable development. Inconsistent measurements of exposure to Islamic economics and sustainability are among the information gaps that currently exist, which has sparked study and publishing in this field.

4.1.6. Co-Occurrence Network

A co-occurrence network, sometimes called a semantic network, is a way to analyse text that visualises probable links between individuals, organisations, ideas, and biological creatures such as bacteria and other things [42]. Text mining-compliant electronically-stored text makes co-occurrence network construction and visualisation possible. The simplest definition of co-occurrence analysis is counting matched data inside a collection unit [43,44]. Figure 7 displays the high-frequency keywords having a tight co-occurrence connection in the subject of Islamic economy and sustainability. Based on Figure 7, three major clusters have been generated: “Islamism”, “finance”, “Islamic study”, and “microfinance” constitute Cluster 1; Cluster 2 consists of the keywords “sustainable development” and “government approach”; there are five networks in Cluster 3, including “sustainability,” “Malaysia,” “Bangladesh,” and “stock market.” Figure 7 provides a concise explanation of the Islamic economy knowledge structure’s resultant network, which shows how the ideas are connected and related to one another. In other words, there is a knowledge framework that connects and has a tight link between Islamism, sustainability, and sustainable development.

RQ4: How has the theme of the publication evolved in Islamic Economy and Sustainability?

Regarding theme development, the method combines performance analysis and scientific mapping for recognising and visualising conceptual subdomains to quantify and visualise the thematic evolution of the study area [45]. Several analyses were performed in this study, including thematic evolution, trend topic, word dynamic, word cloud, and treemap.

4.1.7. Thematic Evolution

Analyzing evolution along thematic lines, science mapping, also known as bibliometric mapping, is a graphical depiction of the network of relationships between scientific areas, papers, and authors [46]. Several fields have used it to uncover previously hidden concepts such as topics. [47]. In Figure 8, the study also divided thematic maps based on density and centrality into four quadrants. A semi-automatic algorithm examined all references to the research topic and added extra keywords. To identify variances, because the top right quadrant has a driving or motor theme with great density and centrality, it needs to be developed and explored further. “Sustainable development” is the main subject in this quadrant. In addition, the top left quadrant demonstrates a niche theme with a high degree of growth, as indicated by high density but low centrality. This quadrant’s topics include “economic growth.” Furthermore, In the lower-left quadrant are long-used themes with low centrality (i.e., emerging or declining themes). “Islamism” is the only distinct subject in this quadrant. Finally, the bottom right quadrant has a simple motif with strong centrality but low density. These themes are vital to include in the study since they are generic issues often utilised, such as the theme of “sustainability”.

4.1.8. Trend Topic

Trends in the topic are also a component of this study, with the figure below providing an overview of the term’s evolution over time and by year. So that it is known which themes have been utilised for an extended period and which have been utilised more recently [25,30], the word is used more frequently the higher it is, and more recently, the word is used further to the right. Figure 9 and

Table 11. The trend topic year.

Trend Topic	Frequency (F)	%	Year_Q1	Year_Med	Year_Q3
Islamic	34	26.4	2018	2020	2021
Development	12	9.3	2016	2018	2021
Sustainability	11	8.5	2018	2020	2021
Sustainable	10	7.8	2018	2021	2021
Finance	8	6.2	2014	2019	2020
Study	7	5.4	2018	2019	2020
Economy	7	5.4	2013	2018	2020
Banks	7	5.4	2020	2020	2021
Banking	6	4.7	2015	2016	2019
Analysis	5	3.9	2015	2021	2021
Social	6	4.7	2016	2018	2020
Financial	6	4.7	2012	2016	2020
Global	5	3.9	2013	2014	2020
Enterprises	5	3.9	2013	2021	2022

show that the topic’s development started to increase significantly in 2014. As indicated in the data’s description below, the topic has been utilised since 2014, particularly in Islamic economy studies’ discussions of the Islamic (F = 34), development (F = 12), sustainability (F = 11), sustainable (F = 10), and finance topic with total frequency of 8. Additionally, the years 2012–2014 witnessed the emergence of financial, global, business, finance, and the economy as distinct but related topics. The frequency of the subjects that have appeared since 2012 is still low, despite the passage of time. With the highest frequency compared to other themes in years q1, q2, and q3, the topics that are frequently discussed from 2018 to 2022 include “Islamic,” “development,” and “sustainability.” This data also explains that the three topics have become trending in the Islamic economy and sustainability field.

4.1.9. Word Dynamic

Word dynamic depicts the evolution of words over time, as indicated by the dataset. The presentation can either be determined by the total number of occurrences per year or by a cumulative count of the leading keywords plus the author’s keywords, title, or abstract. From 2000 through 2022, Figure 10 illustrates the growth of the top keywords based on the total number of occurrences per year in the Islamic economy and sustainability research field. Based on Figure 10 and Figure 11, the statistics reveal that several significant keywords began to exhibit a considerable increase in 2009 and have continued to do so to the present day. From 2009 to 2022, “word dynamic” data analysis clearly demonstrates a rise in the use of dynamic keywords such as “sustainable,” “sustainable development,” and “Islamism. These findings align with the findings of other analyses, including “trend topic” and “word cloud” analyses. This result also explains why the phrases were selected as trending and significant over time.

4.1.10. Treemap

Treemaps are a graphical representation of hierarchical data in which the nodes of a tree diagram are shown as layered rectangles [16]. They consist of a series of proportionally sized rectangles stacked within one another. A huge rectangle indicates a branch of a data tree, whereas smaller rectangles show the size of each node within that branch. Figure 12 shows various treemaps of the top 50 words generated based on keyword plus, author’s keywords, title (bigrams), and abstract (trigrams), respectively. Based on the treemap data, “sustainability” has the highest percentage of 9%, followed by “Islamism (8%)” and “sustainable development” at 7%. While other keywords only contribute a low percentage which is between 1% to 3% only. This outcome differs significantly from the “word cloud” analysis’s findings, which show that “Islamism” appears the most frequently when discussing Islamic economy and sustainability. The overall findings from RQ4 give us a clear picture that the theme of the Islamic economy has grown and evolved over the past few years. This discovery also shows that this evolution has continued to advance since 2013 up until the present. We anticipate that this theme will keep evolving since academics and practitioners give it considerable consideration.

5. Conclusions

In general, ensuring complete environmental sustainability is quite crucial. Islamic economic thinking is crucial to today’s sustainability concerns because it provides a framework for conducting politics and economics responsibly. The study brings to light certain topics that do not seem to have been adequately addressed in the literature. Multiple results indicate that Islamism and sustainable development are this field’s most frequently used keywords. Currently, the Islamic economy is gaining global attention as a sort of business that is on the rise. This attracts not only those interested in economics or finance, but also those interested in banking, microfinance, climate change, ethics, and comparative studies. Overall, Islamic economics and sustainability are prominent topics in Malaysia, and seminars are popular for exchanging views. Five notable authors are Choudhury Ma (2010; 2018), Ismail Ag (2011; 2017; 2021), Oseni Ua (2013; 2015), Javaid O (2022), and Tok E. (2022). Ismail Ag. has 24 citations; Choudhury Ma has 14. The Sustainability journal is the top journal in this field, followed by the International Journal of Social and Economic Studies and the International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies. The Co-occurrence network has three main clusters: Cluster 1 includes “Islamism”, “finance”, “Islamic study”, and “microfinance”; Cluster 2 covers “sustainable development” and “government approach”; Cluster 3 includes “sustainability,” “Malaysia,” “Bangladesh,” and “stock market.” Several analyses were performed to analyze the theme evolution using thematic evolution, trend topic, word dynamic, word cloud, and treemap. “Islamic,” “development,” and “sustainability” are regularly debated from 2018 to 2022. This research illustrates why these three subjects are trending in the Islamic economy and sustainability. This varies from the “word cloud” analysis, which shows “Islamism” appears more when addressing Islamic economics and sustainability.

In conclusion, Islam requires social and economic development. The Quran mentions economic sustainability. From an Islamic sustainability standpoint, economic growth uses natural resources to a suitable degree for human well-being [12]. The data gained from this study, in conjunction with the capabilities of Bibliometrics analysis to anticipate future studies [32], assisted us in identifying research areas for future studies. Therefore, the rigorous method provides many research opportunities. The investigation identifies several literature gaps. Future research should consider the “sustainable development” of Islamic economic and monetary theory underlying the sustainability of the Islamic economy, which lacks a suitable definition, as evidenced by the top right quadrant (i.e., driving or motor theme) in thematic evolution analysis, which needs to be developed and explored further. Furthermore, other researchers might use the findings of this study to investigate best practices in the Islamic economy of the literature cited. Finally, future studies should look at the impact of the Islamic economy and sustainability in general and via multiple streams of knowledge such as political, environmental, and sociological viewpoints.