ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Islamic entrepreneurship is gaining momentum in the development of entrepreneurship knowledge and its implication to entrepreneurial activities. In the past years, there has been increasing number of publications on Islamic entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, this area or research remains understudied and empirical evidence is still limited particularly on the critical success factors (CSFs) of Muslim entrepreneurs, the illustration that extends far beyond the worldly affairs. This study intends to provide a thematic review (TR) of the literature on the CSFs related to Islamic entrepreneurship that influence Muslim entrepreneurs’ success in business. Five databases including Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, Science Direct, Dimensions, and Google Scholar were searched under the keywords such as success factors, Muslim entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurship, followed by filtering and selection process resulting in 30 articles eligible to be reviewed. Review of these articles using Atlas.ti8 software identified three main themes describing success factors of Muslim entrepreneurs: (1) entrepreneurs’ characteristics; (2) business factors; and (3) social responsibility. This study contributes to analysing the CSFs of Muslim entrepreneurs from the published articles, hence the avenue for Muslim entrepreneurs to improve the quality of their business performance from the Islamic perspectives, as well as for future studies on Islamic entrepreneurship.
Abdullah, F., Hamali, J., Deen, A. R., Saban, G., & Abdurahman, A. Z. A. (2009). Developing a framework of success of Bumiputera entrepreneurs. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 3(1), 8–24.
https://doi.org/10.1108/17506200910943652
Abdullah, W. A. A. W., Mohamed, S. B., Ibrahim, Z., Shaladdin, M., & Abdullah, A. H. (2014). Strengthening of Islamic quality management practices through culture of perfection (itqan) and the value of courtesy (ihsan) toward the business perfomance of Muslim entrepreneur. Advances in Natural and Applied Sciences, 8(4), 237–243.
Ahmad, M., & Kadir, S. A. (2013). Characteristics of entrepreneurs and the practice of Islamic values in influencing the success of small medium enterprises in Kelantan and Selangor. Journal of Social and Development Sciences, 4(5), 229–235.
Aldulaimi, S. H. (2016). Fundamental Islamic perspective of work ethics. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 7(1), 59–76.
Aminuddin, Z. S., Bustamam, U. S. A., Mahyuddin, M. K., & Sathiman, S. (2016). Exploring the concept of al-falah (success) in business: an insight from Muslim experts. BEST: International Journal of Management, Information Technology and Engineering, 4(8), 23–36.
Azmi, I. A. G. (2014). The implementation of Islamic business practices of women traders: a study in an Islamic state in a developing country. Global Journal Al-Thaqafah, 4(2), 17–28.
Basmeih, S. A. (2011). Tafsir Ar-Rahman, Interpretation of the Meaning of the Qur'an, 30 Parts. Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.
Benzing, C., Chu, H. M., & Kara, O. (2009). Entrepreneurs in Turkey: a factor analysis of motivations, success factors, and problems. Journal of Small Business Management, 47(1), 58–91.
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2013). Teaching thematic analysis: overcoming challenges and developing strategies for effective learning. The Psychologist, 26(2), 120–123.
Dewi, A. C. E., & Dhewanto, W. (2012). Key success factors of Islamic family business. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 57, 53–60.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.09.1157
Elias, E. M., Nawi, M. N. M., Pozin, M. A. A., Yaakob, M., & Ahmad, M. F. (2019). The impact of entrepreneurial orientation and halal orientation toward organizational performance of micro-sized enterprises. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 8(1), 916–923.
Ghouri, A. M., Khan, N. R., Abdul Kareem, O. B., & Shahbaz, M. (2018). Religiosity effects on employees in SMEs: an Islamic country perspective. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 26(01), 85–111. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0218495818500048
Gusenbauer, M. (2019). Google Scholar to overshadow them all? Comparing the sizes of 12 academic search engines and bibliographic databases. In Scientometrics (Vol. 118, Issue 1). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2958-5
Gusenbauer, M., & Haddaway, N. R. (2020). Which academic search systems are suitable for systematic reviews or meta-analyses? Evaluating retrieval qualities of Google Scholar, PubMed, and 26 other resources. Research Synthesis Methods, 11(2), 181–217. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1378
Hadi, F. S. A., Ahmad, M. A., & Borhan, J. T. (2013). An empirical evidence from Malaysia: what makes the Muslim entrepreneurs succeed? International Journal of Economics and Finance, 5(7), 94–104. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijef.v5n7p94
Hadi, F. S. A., & Borhan, J. T. (2013). Faktor-faktor kejayaan perniagaan Khadijah Binti Khuwailid: analisis terhadap usahawan asnaf di Lembaga Zakat Selangor. Jurnal Syariah, 21(2), 117–144.
Halevi, G., Moed, H., & Bar-Ilan, J. (2017). Suitability of Google Scholar as a source of scientific information and as a source of data for scientific evaluation - review of the Literature. Journal of Informetrics, 11(3), 823–834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.06.005
Hamid, S. A., Sa’ari, C. Z., Rahman, M. N. A., & Ishak, M. S. (2018). Islam dalam budaya keusahawanan: kajian terhadap usahawan Melayu berjaya di negeri Kedah. Jurnal Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Shah, 496–505.
Houshyar, M., & Sotudeh, H. (2018). A reflection on the applicability of Google Scholar as a tool for comprehensive retrieval in bibliometric research and systematic reviews. International Journal of Information Science and Management, 16(2), 1–17.
Ishaq, F., & Abbass, A. (2020). Characteristics of Islamic Entrepreneurship: success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. Business & Social Science Journal (BSSJ), 5(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20908.90242
Jaelani, A. (2019). Maqashid syariah dan pengembangan kewirausahaan berkelanjutan di Indonesia. Al-Mustashfa: Jurnal Penilitian Hukum Ekonomi Islam, 4(2), 212–233.
Komarudin, D. (2017). Bisnis orang Sunda: studi teologi dalam etika bisnis orang Sunda. ISLAM REALITAS: Journal of Islamic & Social Studies, 3(2), 122–132.
Lee, B. (2019). Human capital and labor: the effect of entrepreneur characteristics on venture success. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 25(1), 29–49. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-10-2017-0384
Loh, M. I., & Dahesihsari, R. (2013). Resilience and economic empowerment: a qualitative investigation of entrepreneurial Indonesian women. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 21(1), 107–121. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0218495813500052
Ma’sum, T. (2020). Kepemimpinan profetik masa Bani Umayyah. INTIZAM: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 4(1), 48–65.
Mahyarni, M., Meflinda, A., & Indrayani, H. (2018). The investigation of the effects of spiritual values and behaviors on business development and performance of Muslim preneurship. International Journal of Law and Management, 60(2), 730–740.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-03-2017-0027
Mohamad, N., Ishak, M. S., & Rashid, S. M. (2019). Kerelevanan personaliti usahawan Islam untuk membentuk kepercayaan dalam mengukuhkan komitmen dan kesetiaan pelanggan. Jurnal Islam Dan Masyarakat Kontemporari, 20(1), 95–115.
Mubarak, M. Z., Ab. Rahman, A., & Yaacob, M. R. (2015). Elemen kerohanian dalam keusahawanan Islam: kajian terhadap usahawan berjaya di negeri Kelantan. Journal of Business and Social Development, 3(1), 43–53.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2007.01.009
Mustapha, R., & Abdullah, N. C. (2011). Amalan pengurusan perniagaan usahawan tani IKS Bumiputera: satu kajian kes di negeri Terengganu. Jurnal Teknologi, 55(Mei), 75–105.
Nadzri, S., Rahman, S. S. A., Dali, N. R. S. M., Haron, M. S., & Yaacob, S. E. (2020).
Characteristics of trust among successful entrepreneurs in the catering services industry in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 11(11), 64–75. https://doi.org/10.30845/ijbss.v11n11p8
Pew Research Center. (2015). The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050.
Rafiki, A., & Nasution, F. N. (2019). Business success factors of Muslim women entrepreneurs in Indonesia. Journal of Enterprising Communities, 13(5), 584–604.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-04-2019-0034
Sofian, S. K. S., & Lung, F. T. (2019). Entrepreneurial characters from conventional and Islamic perspectives: some insights. In F. Hassan, I. Osman, E. S. Kassim, B. Haris, & R. Hassan (Eds.), Contemporary Management and Science Issues in the Halal Industry (pp. 89–104). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2677-6
Sohail, A., Anuar, A. M., Arshad, M., & Adeel, A. (2017). Spiritual quotient towards organizational sustainability: the Islamic perspective. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 13(2), 163–170.
https://doi.org/10.1108/wjemsd-01-2017-0002
Syathari, R. A., Rahayu, A., & Hurriyati, R. (2019). Kinerja bisnis industri butik Muslim di Jawa Barat, Indonesia. SOSIOHUMANIKA: Jurnal Pendidikan Sains Sosial Dan Kemanusiaan, 12(2), 157–168.
Tennant, J. P. (2020). Web of Science and Scopus are not global databases of knowledge. European Science Editing, 46, 1–3.
Tlaiss, H. A. (2015). How Islamic business ethics impact women entrepreneurs: insights from four Arab middle eastern countries. Journal of Business Ethics, 129, 859–877. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2138-3
Tlaiss, H. A., & McAdam, M. (2021). Islam, Arab women’s entrepreneurship and the construal of success. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 27(3), 821–844. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-08-2020-0523
Usop, R., Zainol, F. A., & Muhamad, S. F. (2018). Adoption of Islamic business ethics among Malay entrepreneurs in Terengganu: an insight from qualitative approach. International Journal of Academic Research in Business & Social Sciences, 8(5), 1094–1105. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i5/4485
Wahab, K. A., & Rafiki, A. (2014). Measuring small firm entrepreneur’s performance based on al-falah. World Applied Sciences Journal, 29(12), 1532–1539.
https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.wasj.2014.29.12.2058
Wahab, M. A., & Masron, T. A. (2020). Towards a core Islamic work value: evidence from Islamic legal texts and the muft?s’ verification. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 11(1), 179–200. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIABR-11-2017-0158
Wahab, N. N. A., Hussain, M. N. M., Rozar, N. M., Annuar, N., & Jalil, E. A. (2021). Network factor impact to Muslim SMEs success: religious practice as moderator. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 12(3), 1129–1137.
Wahab, N. N. A., Saedon, M. A. M., Bulkia, E., Yahaya, S., & Rofie, M. K. (2021). The impact of entrepreneurial orientation success factors to Muslim SME success. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education (TURCOMAT), 12(3), 2821–2832. https://doi.org/10.17762/turcomat.v12i3.1313
Yaacob, Y., & Azmi, I. A. G. (2015). Meneliti hubungan jihad perniagaan dengan pencapaian usahawan Muslim berjaya di Malaysia. Jurnal Pengurusan, 44, 81–91.
Yaacob, Y., & Azmi, I. A. G. (2016). The relationship between demographic towards the achievement of a successful Muslim entrepreneur in Malaysia. Journal of Advanced Management Science, 4(1), 35–40. https://doi.org/10.12720/joams.4.1.35-40
Yaakub, Z., & Adnan, N. I. M. (2018). Faktor-faktor kejayaan usahawan ikon Majlis Agama Islam Melaka (MAIM). Journal of Advanced Research in Social and Behavioural Sciences, 11(1), 82–93.
Yusof, S. M., Hamed, A. B., Tahir, R. M., & Othman, A. (2018). Usahawan wanita Muslim berjaya: Amalan gaya hidup Islam. International Journal of Islamic Business, 3(1), 1–18.
Yusof, S. M., Hameed, A. B., Tahir, R. M., & Othman, A. (2018). Hablumminallah among successful Muslim women entrepreneur: An exploratory study. International Journal of Academic Research in Business & Social Sciences, 8(5), 1015–1027. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v8-i5/4480
Zairul, M. (2020). A thematic review on student-centred learning in the studio education. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(2), 504–511. https://doi.org/10.31838/jcr.07.02.95
In-Text Citation: (Rahman et al., 2022)
To Cite this Article: Rahman, S. S. A., Senik, Z. C., Hassan, W. Z. W., Yaacob, S. E., Zakaria, Z., & Nadzri, S. (2022). Critical Success Factors of Muslim Entrepreneurs: A Thematic Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(3), 477–495.
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non0-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode