Celebrating a Year of Impact: The Success of the International Journal of Islamic Finance and Sustainable Development

Turkhan Ali Abdul Manap

DOI: 10.55780/Jo25011 02 Sep, 2025

Introduction

The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) celebrates the first year of the International Journal of Islamic Finance and Sustainable Development (IJIFSD), launched in September 2024 in collaboration with the International Center for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) University, Malaysia. IJIFSD builds on the International Shari’ah Research Academy (ISRA) International Journal of Islamic Finance (IJIF), expanding its focus to global sustainability goals. The partnership between IsDBI and INCEIF promotes research in ethical finance and sustainable development.

At the launch of the Journal, Professor Dato’ Dr. Mohd Azmi Omar, President and CEO of INCEIF University, highlighted that partnering with IsDBI to establish the journal recognizes the role of Islamic finance in sustainable development and aims to connect academic research with practical applications. Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, Acting Director General of IsDBI, added that the collaboration supports innovative research intended to shape ethical finance and promote sustainable economic growth in the Islamic world and beyond.

Between September 2024 and June 2025, IJIFSD has developed as a platform for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. The journal covers topics including Islamic economics, banking, capital markets, social finance, takaful, Shari’ah applications, green finance, impact investing, and inclusive development, and has received contributions that correspond with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A Robust Pipeline of Scholarly Contributions

In its first year, IJIFSD received 185 manuscripts, reflecting global enthusiasm for its expanded scope.  Of these, only 31 articles were accepted (16.8%), highlighting its rigorous peer-review process. So far, 29 articles have been published, with 110 still under review, ensuring continued content for future issues.

Authors represent 104 institutions in 27 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe, a testimony of its global reach. Top contributors include Indonesia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, with broad participation from ASEAN and the Middle East, showcasing IsDBI and INCEIF’s commitment to cross-cultural exchange in Islamic finance.

Strong Engagement and Readership Growth

IJIFSD’s content has resonated widely, with each published article averaging 593 reads, indicating strong interest from academic, professional, and policy audiences. Abstract and article views show a steady upward trend, reflecting growing visibility in Islamic finance and sustainable development.

Analysis of the top five most-read articles highlights reader interest in Islamic banking mechanisms like Murābaḥah, the integration of Islamic finance with sustainable frameworks, and the role of Islamic social finance tools—such as waqf and microfinance—in promoting financial inclusion and impact investing. These align with IsDBI’s mission to advance green finance and shared prosperity.

Aligning Research with Global Priorities

A keyword analysis of submissions, visually represented in a word cloud, identifies “social finance,” “microfinance,” “waqf,” and “zakat” as prominent themes. These topics correspond with the journal’s focus on green finance and impact investing, indicating consistency with global issues.

According to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC) 2020 classification, published research is mainly categorized under Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services (55.6%), Philosophy and Religious Studies (16.7%), and Economics (8.3%). This indicates that IJIFSD publishes work largely related to Islamic finance, as well as research relevant to digitalization, artificial intelligence, and environmental sustainability.

Regarding SDG alignment, IJIFSD addresses five goals: SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), each comprising 28.57%, along with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). The journal’s content demonstrates engagement with these sustainable development agendas and may include additional SDGs in future publications.

Strategic Initiatives for Enhanced Visibility

IJIFSD is increasing its reach through special issues with major partners, such as the International Council of Islamic Finance Educators (“Islamic Finance for Sustainable Peace and Development,” September 2025), International University Sarajevo (“Values for Impact,” December 2025), and INCEIF (“Islamic Finance in the AI Era,” June 2026). These collaborations attract varied authors and expand journal content.

Three academic writing workshops were held at INCEIF University, University Brunei Darussalam, and International University Sarajevo (2024/2025) for graduate students and researchers, providing skills for high-quality submissions. More workshops are planned for 2026 to further enhance authorship and submission standards.

Future Outlook

IsDBI envisions expanding IJIFSD’s visibility in regions such as North America and Europe by adopting targeted outreach strategies and fostering stronger collaborations with academic institutions. Planned initiatives include inviting scholars with high H-indexes to contribute, publishing short articles by recognized experts in quarterly issues beginning in 2026, and establishing awards for best papers and reviewers to promote quality. These steps aim to maintain the journal’s established foundation and facilitate ongoing development.

Conclusion

During its initial year, IJIFSD received substantial submissions, represented global diversity, increased engagement, and pursued alignment with sustainable development objectives. This progress underscores the journal’s early success since its launch in September 2024, reflecting both the growing relevance of its themes and the strong interest it has generated within the global research community.