Moral Dimensions In The Happy Prince: A Literary Analysis Through A Qur’anic Lens

Abstract

Literature plays as a mirror of a society’s moral and spiritual fabric, while religious scriptures provide direct guidance on ethics. Although written from a Western, non-Islamic perspective, Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince conveys profound values such as compassion, self-sacrifice, justice, and moral integrity principles that align deeply with Islamic teachings. A noticeable gap remains in scholarship examining this text through the lens of Islamic moral philosophy, particularly regarding the ethical principles outlined in the Qur’an. This study conducted a close reading of Wilde’s The Happy Prince, juxtaposing its moral themes with selected Qur’anic verses to reveal shared ethical values. It examines how Wilde’s short story can be interpreted through an Islamic ethical lens, using relevant verses from the Qur’an to underscore its universal message. The researcher employed qualitative literary analysis of selected quotations and an intertextual study comparing Qur’anic verses with their original contexts, focusing on the central values of Islamic moral theory. The results demonstrate that The Happy Prince embodies universal moral values that closely align with Islamic teachings and Qur’anic principles, so it can be effectively used to teach moral education, comparative religion, ethical values, and character development.