Purpose This paper aims to present a bibliometric analysis of the literature on the prohibition of riba (interest or usury) and its implications for social justice. Rooted in the Qur’an, riba prohibition is central to Islamic finance, emphasizing fairness and mitigating financial exploitation. In this paper, social justice denotes fair credit access, equitable wealth distribution and financial-inclusion outcomes consistent with SDG 10. Empirical studies show that Qard-al-Hasan micro-lending raises multidimensional-poverty scores by 18 % (Muneer and Khan, 2022) and that riba-free mortgages reduce household debt-stress in Indonesia by 0.4 s.d. (Setiawan, 2023a). This review highlights the development of research from 1982 to 2024, using bibliometric citation and content analyses using the Scopus database. It identifies key themes, offering insights into the growing academic interest in riba prohibition and its relevance to Islamic finance principles and global financial practices. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a bibliometric analysis methodology, analyzing publications related to riba prohibition from 1982 to 2024. Using Scopus as the primary database, citation and content analyses were used to explore research trends, geographical contributions and influential scholars and publications. Themes identified include theoretical foundations, macroeconomic implications, modern Islamic banking practices, governance and legal aspects and societal impacts. This approach provides a comprehensive overview of the literature’s evolution, identifying research gaps and trends that inform the discourse on riba prohibition and its socioeconomic and ethical implications within Islamic finance. Findings The findings reveal an increasing academic focus on riba prohibition, evidenced by a rise in publications over the years. This study identifies key contributions from diverse geographical areas and scholars, highlighting five main research streams: theoretical foundations, Islamic banking practices, macroeconomic implications, legal and governance perspectives and societal impacts. Significant gaps were identified, including the need for empirical research on regional variations, cultural influences and financial literacy. The findings underscore the critical role of sustainable financial instruments and independent benchmarks in enhancing the competitiveness of riba-free systems, while advocating for a fairer and socially just financial framework. Originality/value Unlike earlier bibliometric reviews that survey Islamic finance holistically (Aldhawyan et al., 2024; Mohamad, 2024), this study confines its lens to the jurisprudential question of riba. By triangulating citation counts with thematic-coupling and co-authorship metrics, the paper charts for the first time how riba scholarship has migrated from doctrinal exegesis to digital financial engineering across 1982–2024.
Akbar et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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