Trends in Contemporary Qur'anic Exegesis: A Bibliometric Analysis of Its Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23917/profetika.v27i02.13038Keywords:
qur'anic exegesis, sustainable development goals (sdgs), islamic ethics, bibliometric analysis, sustainabilityAbstract
Objective: This study investigates the intellectual trends in contemporary Qur'anic exegesis and examines their alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Theoretical framework: Grounded in the theoretical framework of Islamic ethics, particularly the concepts of adl (justice), khilafah (stewardship), maslahah (public welfare), and environmental responsibility, the research explores how Qur'anic interpretation contributes to contemporary sustainability discourse. Literature review: Previous studies have discussed Qur'anic perspectives on environmental ethics, social justice, and sustainable development separately; however, comprehensive bibliometric evidence demonstrating the evolution, knowledge structure, and scholarly networks connecting Qur'anic exegesis with the SDGs remains limited. Methods: To address this gap, this study employs a bibliometric approach using 356 Scopus-indexed publications published between 2019 and 2026. Data were analyzed through citation analysis, co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence mapping, and thematic visualization using bibliometric software to identify influential authors, institutions, countries, research clusters, and emerging themes. Results: The findings reveal a significant increase in publications linking Qur'anic exegesis with sustainability issues, particularly environmental stewardship, climate responsibility, social justice, ethical governance, and equitable resource management. Nevertheless, collaboration among scholars remains relatively fragmented, and the integration of classical and contemporary Qur'anic interpretations with SDG frameworks is still underdeveloped. These findings indicate considerable opportunities for interdisciplinary research bridging Islamic studies, sustainability science, and public policy. Implications: The study implies that policymakers, educators, religious institutions, and Muslim communities can utilize Qur'anic ethical principles to strengthen sustainable development initiatives and promote socially inclusive environmental governance. The originality of this research lies in providing the first comprehensive bibliometric mapping specifically examining the convergence between contemporary Qur'anic exegesis and the SDGs. Novelty: Its novelty resides in integrating bibliometric techniques with Islamic theological analysis to reveal emerging research patterns, collaboration networks, thematic evolution, and practical implications for advancing faith-based contributions to global sustainable development agendas.
References
[1] M. F. Bashir, A. Sharif, M. W. Staniewski, B. Ma, and W. Zhao, “Environmental taxes, energy transition and sustainable environmental technologies: A comparative OECD region climate change analysis,” J. Environ. Manage., vol. 370, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122304.
[2] J. Shkabatur, R. Bar-El, and D. Schwartz, “Innovation and entrepreneurship for sustainable development: Lessons from Ethiopia,” Prog. Plann., vol. 160, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.progress.2021.100599.
[3] M. A. Kamal, T. R. Warsi, and O. Nasir, “Islamic Principles As A Design Framework For Urban System: Environmental Concern And Sustainable Development,” J. Islam. Archit., vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 699–712, 2023, doi: 10.18860/jia.v7i4.21187.
[4] M. R. Sultanuzzaman, F. Yahya, and C.-C. Lee, “Exploring the complex interplay of green finance, business cycles, and energy development,” Energy, vol. 306, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.132479.
[5] Supriyono, M. Numan, and M. F. Mumtaz, “School Digitalization Strategies in Non-strategic Setting: Insights from Islamic Boarding Schools in Rural Indonesia,” in Sustainable Development Goals Series, vol. Part F693, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia: Springer, 2025, pp. 139–154. doi: 10.1007/978-981-96-4971-6_11.
[6] R. Vasanthan, J. Jeyarani, and J. Karthikeyan, “Harnessing The Benefits Of Translingualism For English Language Education In India,” J. Law Sustain. Dev., vol. 11, no. 6, 2023, doi: 10.55908/sdgs.v11i6.1195.
[7] P. M. Musthafa Thanveer, “The Qur’an in Malayalam: Contextualising Early islāḥị̄ Translations,” J. Qur’anic Stud., vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 49–72, 2024, doi: 10.3366/jqs.2024.0583.
[8] A. N. Musadad, “Mulla Sadra’s Ontological Perspective on the Qur’an,” AlBayan, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 152–167, 2016, doi: 10.1163/22321969-12340037.
[9] A. Kuswaya and M. Ali, “The concept of peace in the Qur’an: A socio-thematic analysis of Muslims’ contestation in Salatiga, Indonesia,” Qudus Int. J. Islam. Stud., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 73–102, 2021, doi: 10.21043/QIJIS.V9I1.10483.
[10] D. Asmarani, S. Monica, and S. D. Ratri, “The Tension Of Religion-Tradition And The Ideas Of Women’s Liberation In ‘Dreams Of Trespass: Tales Of A Harem Girlhood’, A Novel By Fatima Mernissi,” J. Lekt. Keagamaan, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 289–318, 2022, doi: 10.31291/jlka.v20.i2.1040.
[11] N. B. Ismail, “The Qur’anic exegesis, reformism, and women in twentieth century Indonesia,” Stud. Islam., vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 469–501, 2017, doi: 10.15408/sdi.v24i3.5187.
[12] A. Ghaffar, “Foundations Of Virtue : Ethical Principles In The Rise And Development Of Islamic Civilization,” vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 1187–1196, 2025, doi: 10.63878/aaj452.
[13] S. Bhat and . N., “Islamic ,Ethics Islamic Ethics: Exploring its Principles and Scope,” Int. J. Appl. Ethics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 77–93, 2024, doi: 10.51245/ijaethics.v10i1.2024.93.
[14] S. Author, From Revelation to Regulation : The Role of Quran and Hadith in Shaping Ethical Law in the Modern World From Revelation to Regulation : The Role of Quran and Hadith in Shaping Ethical Law in the Modern World. 2025. doi: https://doi.org/10.22059/jcis.2025.392066.1413.
[15] I. Albayrak, “Revisiting the Meaning of the Divine Preservation of the Qur’an: With Special References to Verse 15:9,” Religions, vol. 13, no. 11, 2022, doi: 10.3390/rel13111064.
[16] B. Demircigil, “Disputes on the Meanings of the ‘al-Jin’ in the Qur’ān,” Cumhur. Ilah. Derg., vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 433–449, 2022, doi: 10.18505/cuid.1076156.
[17] Mahmudulhassan, W. Waston, A. Nirwana, S. Amini, M. M. A. Sholeh, and M. Muthoifin, “A moral-based curriculum to improve civilization and human resource development in Bangladesh,” Multidiscip. Rev., vol. 7, no. 8, p. 2024137, May 2024, doi: 10.31893/multirev.2024137.
[18] A. N. Andri Nirwana et al., “A historical review on mapping the evolution and direction of leadership in Islam: Challenges and development opportunities,” Multidiscip. Rev., vol. 7, no. 6, 2024, doi: 10.31893/multirev.2024124.
[19] A. N. Andri Nirwana, Mahmudulhassan, M. Ali, Muthoifin, Waston, and A. R. B. S. Senathirajah, “The Intersection of Quranic Studies and Modern Technology: A Bibliometric Analysis of Academic Publications from 2000 to 2024,” Qubahan Acad. J., vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 178–190, 2024, doi: 10.48161/qaj.v4n4a981.
[21] I. Ifdil et al., “The Evolution of Islamic Counseling: A Bibliometric Analysis of Trends in Publications from 1981-2023,” Islam. Guid. Couns. J., vol. 6, no. 2, 2023, doi: 10.25217/0020236410700.
[22] M. Kahf, “Riba in Islamic economics and finance,” Handb. Islam Econ. Life, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 132–152, 2014, doi: 10.4337/9781783479825.00013.
[23] A. M. Hlatywayo, “The Impact of the COVID-19 Aftermath on the Sustainability of Women’s Informal Business Enterprises in Zimbabwe: The Need for Faith Based Interventions,” Pharos J. Theol., vol. 106, no. SpecialIssue-2, pp. 1–12, 2025, doi: 10.46222/pharosjot.106.2023.
[24] A. Yahaya, “Socio-Economic Impact of Some Muslim Non-Indigenes on the Development of Karmo Community in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria,” Bull. Islam. Res., vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 651–670, May 2025, doi: 10.69526/bir.v3i4.395.
[25] A. S. Belabes, “I’jaz in the Qur’an through the Use of the Word Bayt to Designate the Ka’aba Before its Rebuilt by Quraysh: Lessons for the Revivification of the Awqaf Knowledge,” QiST J. Quran Tafseer Stud., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 387–400, Jun. 2025, doi: 10.23917/qist.v4i2.8430.
[26] B. Qomaruzzaman, “Erratum: The theology of non-violent Islamic education based on Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya,” HTS Teol. Stud. / Theol. Stud., vol. 77, no. 4, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.4102/hts.v77i4.7039.
[27] C. Deane-Drummond, “Laudato Si’ and the Natural Sciences: An Assessment of Possibilities and Limits,” Theol. Stud., vol. 77, no. 2, pp. 392–415, Jun. 2016, doi: 10.1177/0040563916635118.
[28] D. Thomas, “The Past and the Future in Christian–Muslim Relations,” Islam Christ. Relations, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 33–42, Jan. 2007, doi: 10.1080/09596410601071071.
[29] I. H. Amzat, W. T. K. Al-Ani, O. H. Ismail, and T. Al Omairi, “Women’s empowerment and its effect on community development in Oman: predictive model and indicators for best practices,” Community. Work Fam., vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 338–356, May 2019, doi: 10.1080/13668803.2017.1367274.
[30] A. Feix and G. Wernicke, “When Is CEO Activism Conducive to the Democratic Process?,” J. Bus. Ethics, vol. 190, no. 4, pp. 755–774, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10551-023-05446-5.
[31] A. Aman, “Islamic marketing ethics for Islamic financial institutions,” Int. J. Ethics Syst., vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 1–11, Nov. 2019, doi: 10.1108/IJOES-12-2018-0182.
[32] E. Nojszewska and A. Sielska, “Macroeconomic and Social Indicators to Launch the PM-Based VBHC Model in the Healthcare System in Poland,” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, vol. 19, no. 3, p. 1712, Feb. 2022, doi: 10.3390/ijerph19031712.
[33] I. Habib, “Ṣulḥ-i Kul under Akbar: Reconstructing the Short Life of a Concept of Human Amity,” Stud. People’s Hist., vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 208–214, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.1177/23484489211041140.
[34] I. Lala, “Muḥammad as the Qur’an in Ibn ‘Arabī’s Metaphysics,” Sophia, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 195–213, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s11841-022-00941-0.
[35] I. H. Jamal et al., “Classification of hadith fi’li in sahih Al-Bukhari based on contextual understanding on the Pillars of Islam,” Adv. Sci. Lett., vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 4681–4685, 2017, doi: 10.1166/asl.2017.8948.
[36] T. Moqbel, “The exegetical function of the Qur’ān in the Christian-Arabic Pentateuch,” J. Jewish Stud., vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 51–73, 2023, doi: 10.18647/3565/jjs-2023.
[37] S. R. S. Abuisaac, A. M. Zaidan, M. M. Alshater, and A. A. Bin Sapar, “Emotiveness and Translational Equivalence of Irony Interface with Other Figures of Speech in the Quranic Discourse,” J. Intercult. Commun. Res., vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 146–165, 2021, doi: 10.1080/17475759.2020.1806905.
[38] I. H. Jamal et al., “Classification of Hadith Fi’li in Sahih Al-Bukhari Based on Contextual Understanding on the Pillars of Islam,” Adv. Sci. Lett., vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 4681–4685, May 2017, doi: 10.1166/asl.2017.8948.
[39] M. Gaitán, E. Villuendas, and L. Targa, “Bridging Creative Industries and Museums: Collaborative Pathways for Sustainable Development,” Heritage, vol. 8, no. 4, p. 140, Apr. 2025, doi: 10.3390/heritage8040140.
[40] A. Galadari, “The Taqlīd al-Ijtihād Paradox: Challenges to Qurʾanic Hermeneutics,” Al-Bayān – J. Qurʾān Ḥadīth Stud., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 145–167, Dec. 2015, doi: 10.1163/22321969-12340023.
[41] F. Abubakar, E. Nurlaelawati, and A. B. Wahib, “Interpreting bulugh: Enhancement of women’s rights through management of marriage within Salafi community in Wirokerten, Yogyakarta,” Indones. J. Islam Muslim Soc., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 139–163, 2022, doi: 10.18326/ijims.v12i1.139-163.
[42] F. Abubakar, “Interpreting ‘Bulugh’: Enhancement of women’s right through management of marriage within Salafi community in Wirokerten, Yogyakarta,” Indones. J. Islam Muslim Soc., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 139–163, Jun. 2022, doi: 10.18326/ijims.v12i1.139-163.
[43] A. H. Tamuri and A. M. Ismail, “Hubungan Persekitaran Sekolah dan Guru dengan Amalan Akhlak Murid Sekolah Menengah Malaysia,” Int. J. Islam. Thought, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 1–13, Jun. 2021, doi: 10.24035/ijit.19.2021.190.
[44] S. E. James, “A rebel on the comstock: The life and times of actress Lillie Edgington (1856-1917),” Cogent Arts Humanit., vol. 9, no. 1, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1080/23311983.2022.2149103.
[45] C. Kutluturk, “Princess Durrusehvar Sultan’s Selfless Struggle for Uplifting the Social Status of Hyderabadi Women,” Cogent Soc. Sci., vol. 9, no. 1, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1080/23311886.2023.2185282.
[46] S. S. Tangri and J. R. Kahn, “Ethical issues in the new reproductive technologies: Perspectives from feminism and the psychology profession.,” Prof. Psychol. Res. Pract., vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 271–280, Aug. 1993, doi: 10.1037/0735-7028.24.3.271.
[47] E. Moreno-Cardenas, Y. Moreno, and A. I. Barrial-Lujan, “Strategic Design of a Business Model for Providing Services over the 5G Network in Peru,” Adm. Sci., vol. 14, no. 3, p. 55, Mar. 2024, doi: 10.3390/admsci14030055.
[48] D. Steingard, M. Balduccini, and A. Sinha, “Applying AI for social good: Aligning academic journal ratings with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” AI Soc., vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 613–629, 2023, doi: 10.1007/s00146-022-01459-2.
[49] I. Zaki, M. B. F. Zusak, D. A. Mi’raj, and F. F. Hasib, “Islamic community-based business cooperation and sustainable development goals: a case of pesantren community in Indonesia,” Int. J. Ethics Syst., vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 621–632, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.1108/IJOES-12-2021-0218.
[50] O. Selebi, C. Slabbert, and E. Van Niekerk, “The Role Of Strategic Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships In Reducing Food Loss And Waste In South Africa,” Communitas, vol. 28, pp. 53–70, Sep. 2023, doi: 10.38140/com.v28i.6981.
[51] S. Leese, “Arabic utterances in a multilingual world: Shāh Walī-Allāh and Qur’anic translatability in North India,” Transl. Stud., vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 242–261, May 2021, doi: 10.1080/14781700.2021.1919192.
[52] T. Koburtay, T. Abuhussein, and Y. M. Sidani, “Women Leadership, Culture, and Islam: Female Voices from Jordan,” J. Bus. Ethics, vol. 183, no. 2, pp. 347–363, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.1007/s10551-022-05041-0.
[53] B. Perry, L. Ager, and R. Sitas, “Cultural heritage entanglements: festivals as integrative sites for sustainable urban development,” Int. J. Herit. Stud., vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 603–618, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1080/13527258.2019.1578987.
[54] J. Jahroni, “Te Rise of Tahfz Schools in Contemporary Indonesia,” Stud. Islam., vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 305–335, 2024, doi: 10.36712/sdi.v31i2.41150.
[55] A. Puglisi and J. Buitendag, “A faith-based environmental approach for people and the planet: Some inter-religious perspectives on our Earth-embeddedness,” HTS Teol. Stud. / Theol. Stud., vol. 78, no. 2, 2022, doi: 10.4102/hts.v78i2.7582.
[56] Q. Wodon, “Does Pluralism Matter for the Fulfillment of the Right to Education? Exploring New Indices,” Rev. Faith Int. Aff., vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 110–118, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1080/15570274.2021.1917156.
[57] J. Ralston, “At the Border of Christian Learning: Islamic Thought and Constructive Christian Theology1,” Interpret. J. Bible Theol., vol. 76, no. 2, pp. 117–128, 2022, doi: 10.1177/00209643221081706.
[58] R. Aliti, “Application of Design Thinking for Quranic Exegesis,” Int. J. Islam. Thought, vol. 20, pp. 120–125, 2021, doi: 10.24035/ijit.20.2021.216.
[59] J. Anwari, “A comparative study of the islamic satan and the miltonic satan,” Theory Pract. Lang. Stud., vol. 10, no. 10, pp. 1254–1258, 2020, doi: 10.17507/tpls.1010.10.
[60] Y. Y. Mirza, “‘I Wished I Had Been Dead And Forgotten Long Before This’ Maryam’s Call And Qur’anic Vulnerability,” Stud. Interrelig. Dialogue, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 193–209, 2024, doi: 10.2143/SID.34.2.3293936.
[61] A. A. (Corresponding Author), E. M. A. A. Abdalla Amin, M. M. El-Din Ahmed, and A. Youssef, “Qur’an Versus Kabbalah: A Reading into Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,” J. Al-Tamaddun, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 245–265, May 2025, doi: 10.22452/JAT.vol20no1.18.
[62] P. Laffoon, “Polyphony and Symphony: A Rereading of Q 4.157,” Islam Christ. Relations, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 159–179, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1080/09596410.2021.1914404.
Downloads
Submitted
Accepted
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sufian Suri, Irwanto, Zulia Rahmi binti Yunus, Fadiya Shakila Jasmi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
