The global halal industry has experienced significant expansion over the past two decades, with Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) playing an increasingly vital role in driving innovation, inclusivity, and market penetration. Despite this momentum, a comprehensive understanding of scholarly trends in halal-related SMME research remains limited. This bibliometric study offers a longitudinal and quantitative analysis of global publication patterns from 2004 to 2025, using 406 Scopus-indexed articles and VOSviewer for mapping co-authorship, citations, and keyword co-occurrence. Guided by six research questions, the study explores trends in publication volume, author productivity, citation impact, country-level contributions, keyword evolution, and international collaboration networks. The findings reveal a notable rise in publication activity post-2020, reflecting growing scholarly and policy interest in halal-compliant business models. Indonesia leads in total output, followed by Malaysia and Thailand, highlighting Southeast Asia’s centrality in this discourse. Author and citation analyses identify a small group of influential scholars and publications that have shaped the field's foundational knowledge. Keyword analysis shows an evolution from early emphases on religious, ethical, and animal welfare topics toward more strategic and operational concerns, including halal assurance, digital traceability, and SMME competitiveness. However, collaboration patterns remain regionally concentrated, with limited engagement from scholars in non-Muslim-majority countries, indicating untapped opportunities for broader global knowledge exchange. This study contributes a structured overview of the halal-SMME research landscape, highlighting its progression, regional dominance, and emerging priorities. The insights offered are valuable for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to strengthen the halal ecosystem through more inclusive, innovation-driven, and globally connected research efforts.