TWO DECADES OF SUFISM SCHOLARSHIP IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW (2010-2026)

Author: Malaysia

Abstract

Sufism, also known as tasawwuf, constitutes one of the most enduring intellectual and spiritual dimensions of the Islamic tradition and has, in recent decades, attracted growing scholarly attention across diverse academic disciplines. Despite this expansion, comprehensive bibliometric mapping that captures the global structure, intellectual evolution, and collaborative dynamics of Sufism research remains limited. This study presents a bibliometric review of Sufism scholarship in the Islamic world over the period 2010–2026, drawing on a dataset of 2,673 publications retrieved from the Scopus database. The findings reveal a steady upward trajectory of publications, a strong conceptual core anchored by Sufism and tasawwuf, and a maturing intellectual structure increasingly engaged with interdisciplinary themes such as gender, regional Sufi traditions, ethics, and Muslim identity. The United Kingdom, United States, and Iran emerge as the most productive contributors, while the Journal of Sufi Studies and Contemporary Islam stand out as the most citation-impactful outlets. However, formal cross-border co-authorship between Western and Muslim-majority countries remains limited, signalling a persistent collaborative gap. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the global research landscape of Sufism and provides empirical direction for future cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, and regionally inclusive scholarly inquiry.