How faith and social values shape entrepreneurial practices for sustainable development in MENA markets?

Purpose Despite growing interest in sustainable entrepreneurship, a significant gap remains in the literature on how faith-based informal institutions interact with formal economic structures to advance sustainability in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Through literature review of 45 research papers, this study synthesizes the effects of Islamic ethics and social values on entrepreneurial models, decision-making process and sustainability outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This article uses a systematic literature review to synthesize the findings of academic papers published between 2015 and 2025. The review draws on leading databases such as Scopus and Google Scholar in selecting studies that intersect at Islamic finance, social values and entrepreneurship. The analysis utilizes a thematic synthesis approach to construct an integrative framework linking micro-level values to macro-level sustainable development goals (SDGs). Findings The results demonstrate that Islamic finance principles such as zakat, waqf, Shari'ah compliance financing, create substantial entrepreneurial architectures that promote investments according to ethics, inclusive economic development, community well-being and environmental responsibility. Social values highlight legitimacy in business and enhance social cohesion, while variation in institutions and governance modalities can present opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship. The emergence of Islamic green finance and digital innovations offers accelerated paths for growth. Research limitations/implications The review identifies gaps in research, such as verifying empirical findings, long-term studies and comparative studies across MENA countries, and the absence of standardized metrics for impact assessment, and recommends targeted research and knowledge, along with policy innovation and support to advance faith-based sustainable entrepreneurship. Originality/value This article offers an integrative framework that links faith, Islamic finance, social values and entrepreneurship for sustainable development, and is useful for researchers, policymakers and practitioners alike, in the MENA context. This framework is theoretically grounded in institutional theory (macro level), embeddedness theory (meso) and the theory of planned behavior (micro), which maps conceptual pathways from foundational values to policy, practice and sustainability outcomes. The analysis identified synergies and tensions between global sustainability frameworks (SDGs, environmental, social and governance) and local socio-cultural contexts.