<![CDATA[The politicization of religion in general elections has been a global issue in both religious and secular countries. Since 1955 to 2019, Indonesia experienced political contests laden with religious attributes, which sparked conflicts. This research aims to analyze the relevant issues and motives associated with using religious elements in the presidential election campaign 2019. This study is empirical research and involves interviews with high-level officials of political parties. Furthermore, the online mass media, official blogs of candidate pairs for president and vice president, and social media were employed as secondary data. Following the analysis, the result implies that the politicization of religion in the 2019 presidential election campaign firmly appears amidst the decline of presidential and vice presidential candidates' religious polarization. The use of religious issues in the campaign yielded public sympathy and antipathy, affecting the electability of presidential and vice presidential candidates. Meanwhile, counter-elements contradict negative images that discredit presidential and vice presidential candidates. The motives for politicizing religion were identified as "political pragmatism" and "culturalism politics". Ideological interest was also identified as a motive but did not arise in the 2019 presidential election. From siyāsah shar'iyyah perspective, the politicization of religion could threaten the sharia objective of creating social advantage (maṣlaḥah). Politicization using religious issues amounts to religious commodification, which is irrelevant to the sharia objective.Keywords: politization of religion; campaign; presidential election; siyāsah shar'iyyah AbstrakPolitisasi agama dalam pemilihan umum telah menjadi isu global di banyak negara, baik negara-negara berbasis agama maupun sekuler. Indonesia telah melaksanakan pemilihan umum sejak tahun 1955 hingga 2019 dalam prosesnya banyak sekali muncul isu-isu keagamaan yang menyebabkan terjadinya konflik dan perpecahan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memetakan dan menganalisis isu-isu terbaru dan motif penggunaan isu keagamaan dalam kampanye Pilpres 2019. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian fenomenologis empiris. Data diperoleh dari pengurus dan anggota partai politik. Selain itu diperoleh dari media cetak, media elektronik, media online/internet seperti blok resmi pasangan calon presiden-calon wakil presiden dan media sosial. Hasil penelitian menemukan bahwa politisasi agama dalam kampanye Pilpres 2019 semakin menguat di tengah melemahnya polarisasi agama. Isu-isu keagamaan dalam kampanye telah menimbulkan simpati dan antipati publik sehingga mempengaruhi elektabilitas pasangan calon presiden-calon wakil presiden. Di sisi lain isu-isu yang mengkonter berusaha menormalisasi citra negatif yang dialamatkan pada pasangan calon presiden-calon wakil presiden. Isu-isu ini muncul untuk kepentingan sesaat sebagai wujud politik pragmatis, di samping politik kultural. Kepentingan ideologis tetap terbaca walaupun tidak mengemuka secara transparan, karena hambatan konstitusional. Dalam pandangan siyāsah shar'iyyah, politisasi agama dapat mengancam tujuan syariat untuk mewujudkan kemashlahatan. Politisasi dengan menggunakan isu-isu keagamaan merupakan komodifikasi agama yang tidak sejalan dengan cita-cita syariat itu sendiri.Kata Kunci: politisasi agama; kampanye; pemilihan presiden; siyāsah shar'iyyah]]>
