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This study addresses the question of whether Islamic epistemology and ethics advance the understanding and promotion of sustainable development (SD) in the field of Islamic management, economics and finance (IMEF). This study also aims to understand how contemporary ethical theories explain and harmonise Islamic ethics in the context of SD.

This study adopts the PRISMA protocol and conducts a systematic literature review of 62 articles published from 2015 to 2023 to provide answers to four research questions. The selected publications were taken from the Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, using the purposive sampling technique, and taking into account the selection criteria of quality, relevance and timeliness of the publications.

Four key findings emerged from the review. Firstly, Islamic epistemology and ethics, drawn from the Qur’an and Hadith, guide practices toward SD. Secondly, Islamic epistemology and ethics promote SD through various initiatives, including ethical behaviour, environmental stewardship, social responsibility, Islamic banking and financing ethics and Islamic social financing principles among others. Third, contemporary ethical theories such as virtue ethics, intentionalism, consequentialism and deontological ethics enrich the application of Islamic ethical foundations in the context of SD. Finally, the theoretical connection between Islamic epistemology, ethics and SD lies in their alignment toward promoting ethical behaviour, social responsibility and holistic ecosystem well-being.

The insights provided by this review offer practical implications for researchers, policymakers and practitioners in IMEF. The insights also underscore the importance of integrating Islamic ethical principles into SD initiatives and policy frameworks.

This novel study offers unique perspectives by integrating contemporary ethical theories with Islamic ethics and epistemology to justify SD in ways that are both theoretically and practically significant. In addition, six novel propositions are suggested for future research in IMEF.