Semantic Shifts of the Term 'Amin':
From Islamic Theology and Qur’anic Exegesis to Electoral Political Discourse
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22373/jim.v23i2.32743Keywords:
'Amin', Politicization of Religion, 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election, Critical Discourse Analysis, Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ahAbstract
This study examines the term 'Amin' in the Qur'an and its relevance to the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election, focusing on the politicization of religious symbols in the public sphere. Traditionally interpreted as an affirmation of prayer in Islamic worship, 'Amin' underwent a semantic shift from a spiritual expression to a political acronym for a specific candidate pair. Employing a qualitative approach through critical discourse analysis, this research explores the theological meaning and symbolic transformation of the term. Data were collected from classical and contemporary Qur'anic exegeses, hadiths, campaign documentations, and digital social media narratives. The findings reveal that political usage reduces the sacred meaning of 'Amin' to mere rhetoric, creating ambiguity between religious devotion and political support. Consequently, this phenomenon fosters social polarization, segmentation, and exclusion among the Muslim community. By integrating symbolic political theory with maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, this study highlights the necessity of critical awareness regarding religious symbols in politics to prevent the desacralization of Islamic texts for pragmatic power gains.
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