The Concept of Love in the Novel Al-Nabiyy by Kahlil Gibran: A Literary Psychological Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v20i1.13730Keywords:
love theory, Robert J. Sternberg, triangular theory of love, passion, commitment, Al-Nabiyy, literary psychology, symbolic fictionAbstract
Love is a universal theme that functions not only as a subject of psychological inquiry but also as a central theme in literary works. This study analyzes the representation of love in Al-Nabiyy by Kahlil Gibran using Robert J. Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, which consists of three components: passion, intimacy, and commitment. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method within a literary psychology approach. Data were collected from narrative quotations in the 2022 English edition of The Prophet, referred to throughout this study as Al-Nabiyy, and then classified and analyzed according to the three components of love. The findings show that passion is portrayed as an intense emotional and spiritual force that exists without possessiveness. Intimacy appears through empathy, emotional closeness, and openness, particularly in Al-Musthafa’s teachings to the people of Orphalese. Commitment is reflected in the teachings of love that emphasize togetherness without eliminating individuality. Among the nine quotations analyzed, commitment emerges as the most dominant component. This study concludes that love in Al-Nabiyy is transcendental, functioning not only as a human emotion but also as a spiritual path toward harmony and self-purification. The novelty of this research lies in integrating Sternberg’s framework with Sufi concepts such as uns (spiritual intimacy) and fana (self-surrender), providing a cross-cultural perspective on love. The findings contribute to literary psychology by bridging modern psychological theory with spiritual discourse.
References
Ablana, C., Raynal, P., & Séjourné, N. (2024). Love’s paradox: Unraveling the dynamics of love and psychological intimate partner violence against women. Violence Against Women, 32(1), 314-325. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012241297257
Akshaya, T., & Niranjani, S. R. (2025). Kavita Kané’s Karna’s Wife: The Outcast’s Queen through the lens of Robert Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love. Academic Research News, 1(3), 1-4.
Almeida, T., & Rodrigues, D. L. (2024). Editorial: The psychology of love. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1518730
Amani, D. (2022). Circumventing customers’ switching behavior in telecommunication industry in Tanzania: Insight from Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2042078
Anam, H., & Bakar, A. (2024). Building a harmonious family in the Qur'an: An analysis of Sternberg’s theory of love on household harmony. TAFSE: Journal of Qur'anic Studies, 9(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.22373/tafse.v9i1.21793
Antikha, S., & Hasyim, M. (2025). Qaddukal Al Mayyas: Unraveling romance and misinterpretation through Sternberg's triangular theory of love. Ranah Research: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 7(3), 1825-1834. https://doi.org/10.38035/rrj.v7i3.1439
Arisar, K., & Buriro, G. A. (2025). Sacred triangles: Interpreting passion, intimacy, and commitment in the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai through Sternberg’s love theory. Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (JALT), 8(1), 1777-1785.
Bhargava, S. (2023). Experienced love: An empirical account. Psychological Science, 35(1), 7-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976231211267
Braida, N., Matta, E., & Paccagnella, L. (2023). Loving in consensual non-monogamies: Challenging the validity of Sternberg’s Triangular Love Scale. Sexuality & Culture, 27, 1828-1847. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10092-0
Calista, S. N., & Pasopati, R. U. (2024). The relevance of triangular theory of love in Devon Daniels’ Meet You in the Middle. Journal Corner of Education, Linguistics, and Literature, 3(3), 322-331. https://doi.org/10.54012/jcell.v3i3.276
Cassepp-Borges, V., Gonzales, J. E., Frazier, A., & Ferrer, E. (2023). Love and relationship satisfaction as a function of romantic relationship stages. Trends in Psychology 33, 1027-1042. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00333-4
Das, K., & Rao, T. S. (2022). Love, veritably—A mélange of love, intimacy, attraction, and sensuality. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 4(3), 195-202. https://doi.org/10.1177/26318318221102126
Fromm, E. (1956). Die kunst des liebens: The art of loving. An inquiry into the nature of love. Open Publishing.
Gibran, K. (2022). The Prophet. Penguin Classics.
Haque, A. (2004). Psychology from Islamic perspective: Contributions of early Muslim scholars and challenges to contemporary Muslim psychologists. Journal of Religion and Health, 43(4), 357-377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-004-4302-z
Jia, Y. (2022). Investigation and research on the love of contemporary Chinese homosexuals based on the “Love Triangle”. Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Social Development and Media Communication (SDMC 2021), 772-776. Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220105.141
Joy, G. V., & Nashwan, A. J. (2024). Emotional resilience and well-being in employability of nurses: A “Triangular Theory of Love’’ approach. Academia Mental Health and Well-Being, 1(3). https://www.doi.org/10.20935/MHealthWellB7395
Juneja, A. (2024). Love in online dating: Examining the correlation between communication patterns and the development of intimacy, passion, and commitment. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Psychology, 2(5), 669-689.
Kowal, M., Sorokowski, P., Dinić, B. M., Pisanski, K., Gjoneska, B., Frederick, D. A., & Sternberg, R. J. (2024). Validation of the short version (TLS-15) of the Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45) across 37 languages. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 53(2), 839-857. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02702-7
Loinar, C., & El Risman, Y. (2024). Analysis of the novel Tenki No Ko (天気の子) by Shinkai Makoto through Robert J. Sternberg’s love theory. Talenta Conference Series: Local Wisdom, Social, and Arts (LWSA), 7(3), 20-26. https://doi.org/10.32734/lwsa.v7i3.2109
Mukoro, E. (2023). The love poems of Tony Afejuku. Akshara, 15, 122-136.
Myers, D. G., & DeWall, C. N. (2018). Exploring psychology (10th Ed.). Worth Publishers.
Nabila, V., & Gunawan, M. C. (2023). The relationship between the triangular theory of love by Sternberg and romantic relationship satisfaction in emerging adulthood. European Journal of Psychological Research, 10(1), 82-90.
Najam, Q., Shafiq, A., & Shafiq, M. (2024). Intimate echoes: Unravelling connections in Strout’s Lucy by the Sea through Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (JALT), 7(4), 852-861.
Nel, K. A., & Govender, S. (2025). The triangular theory of love scale used in a South African context: A research study. In C. H. Mayer & E. Vanderheiden (Eds.), International handbook of love: Transcultural and transdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 467-478). Springer Nature Switzerland.
Paccagnella, L., Matta, E., & Braida, N. (2024). Intimacy, passion and commitment in consensual non-monogamies: An empirical study on an international sample. Italian Sociological Review, 14(2), 487-513. https://doi.org/10.13136/isr.v14i2.690
Pal, D., Babakerkhell, M. D., Papasratorn, B., & Funilkul, S. (2023). Intelligent attributes of voice assistants and user’s love for AI: A SEM-based study. IEEE Access, 11, 60889-60903. http://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3286570
Ralte, L. (2024). Meaning making of intimacy, passion and commitment: Lived experiences of unmarried adults in online romantic relationships. Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science, 37(6), 525-537. https://doi.org/10.9734/jesbs/2024/v37i61363
Ribeiro-Gonçalves, J. A., Pocinho, M., Costa, P. A., & Leal, I. (2025). The experiences of intimacy, commitment and passion throughout life: A qualitative study of older gay and bisexual men. Sexuality & Culture 29, 2069-2095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10358-9
Ro’is, S., & Wulandari, R. S. (2023). Sternberg’s triangular love theory within Romeo and Juliet. SALIENCE: English Language, Literature, and Education, 3(1).
Rostami, B., Khaleghi, F., Kasirloo, Y., Jabbari, S., Saadati, E., & Hoseinzadeh, Z. (2025). Effectiveness of a Sternberg-based empowerment program in reducing marital conflict among women. Women’s Health Bulletin, 12(3), 180–189. http://doi.org/10.30476/whb.2025.102890.1296
Santoso, J. A., & Pramesti, T. (2023). Robert Stenberg's theory of triangular love in Colleen Hoover's All Your Perfects. Proceeding of Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Linguistic, and Cultural Studies, 2(1), 6-18. https://doi.org/10.30996/uncollcs.v2i1.2477
Setyawati, H., Kobong, B. T. M., & Rahayu, S. (2024). The effect of physical attractiveness on consummate love from Sternberg's love triangle theory on psychology students already married at University X. European Journal of Psychological Research, 11(4), 92-100.
Singal, J. K., Solang, D. J., & Hartati, M. E. (2025). Hubungan antara five love language dengan cinta pada remaja yang sedang berpacaran di Desa Parepei. Future Academia: The Journal of Multidisciplinary Research on Scientific and Advanced, 3(4), 1736-1747. https://doi.org/10.61579/future.v3i4.710
Song, C. (2025). How is love recognised? A theoretical model of love confirmation mechanisms in romantic relationships. Journal of Law, Psychology, and Communication Studies, 1(1), 199-223. https://doi.org/10.63802/jlpcs.v1.i1.56
Sorokowski, P., et al. (2020). Universality of the triangular theory of love: Adaptation and psychometric properties of the triangular love scale in 25 countries. The Journal of Sex Research, 58(1), 106-115. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2020.1787318
Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119-135. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.93.2.119
Sternberg, R. J., & Sternberg, K. (2024). A RELIC theory of love: The role of interpersonal, intrapersonal, and extrapersonal elements in love. Theory & Psychology, 34(5), 671-698. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593543241270922
Sternberg, R. J., & Weis, K. (2018). The new psychology of love. Yale University Press.
Sudhakaran, S. (2025). Multifaceted representations of love in Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook: A theoretical exploration. Anusandhanvallari, 558-565.
Tran, T. T., Le, T. V., Le, N. H., Dam, A. V. T., Nguyen, T. T., Nguyen, A. T. T., & Nguyen, H. T. (2025). Emotional attachment to artificial intelligence and perceived social isolation among university students: An application of Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(12). https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025662
Wellek, R., & Warren, A. (1949). Theory of literature (3rd Ed.). Harcourt, Brace & World.
Żelaźniewicz, A., Kowal, M., Pawłowski, B., & Sorokowski, P. (2025). Is family size related to love? Data from 25 countries. Human Nature, 36(3), 460-481. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-025-09505-w
Zohar, D., & Marshall, I. (2001). Spiritual intelligence: The ultimate intelligence. Bloomsbury.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Devira Dewi, Abdul Muntaqim Al Anshory
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License - Share Alike that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
USER RIGHTS
All articles published Open Access will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and download. We are continuously working with our author communities to select the best choice of license options, currently being defined for this journal as follows: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (CC BY-SA)
