Where Technology Meets Faith: A Systematic Review and Cultural Reinterpretation of UTAUT2 Framework in Muslim Societies

The extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) has emerged as a prominent underpinning theory for understanding users’ technology adoption in Islamic cultural contexts. However, the existing literature remains fragmented, and empirical findings are inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the extant literature on UTAUT2 in Islamic technology settings and to critically evaluate its theoretical deployment, contextual adaptations, and empirical performance, with the aim of identifying opportunities to advance future research in this area. Guided by the PRISMA protocol and theories–contexts–characteristics–methodologies (TCCM) framework, this study included 38 relevant journal articles retrieved from the Scopus database. Findings indicate that few studies integrate complementary theories to extend UTAUT2, and the research landscape is heavily concentrated in Asian countries. A cross-sectional design dominates the research approach, with PLS-SEM emerging as the prevailing data analysis strategy. The relevance of the core UTAUT2 determinants is mixed. Habit and performance expectancy frequently predict behavioral intention, whereas effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, facilitating conditions, and price value often exhibit insignificant effects. Trust, religiosity, and compliance are the most commonly incorporated additional constructs. The boundary conditions of associations’ UTAUT2 have largely been overlooked. This review is among the earliest studies of UTAUT2 in Muslim cultural contexts. This study reveals important strengths and shortcomings of existing UTAUT2-based studies in this particular setting. Advancing beyond a descriptive review, this study consolidates current knowledge, identifies methodological and theoretical gaps, and outlines a research agenda to strengthen the Islamic-based UTAUT2 framework.