What comes to mind when you first hear the term “Pesantren”? A place filled with teenagers harboring extremist Islamic ideologies? The epicenter of modern terrorism? Or other negative perceptions? Well, these views are widely unsupported and contradict the majority’s beliefs. Single instances of evidence cannot justify all facets of a matter. Consequently, we must deeply analyze and consider the media’s coverage of Pesantren, juxtaposed with the reality they present.
Indonesia, with its multicultural society, should take pride in the existence of Pesantren within its education system. Pesantren exemplifies how local culture and religion can collaborate and converge. The arrival of Islam in the Nusantara region did not obliterate its local culture but instead intermingled with it.
Moreover, Pesantren has always played a vital role in moderating radical and secular ideas within Islam in Indonesia. Throughout history, figures like Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur, and Syafii Maarif, known as Buya Syafii, have maintained Indonesia’s identity of plurality and moderation.
Muslim Indonesian Identity
Historically, Pesantren is rooted in the pre-Islamic era of Indonesia and Hindu-Buddhist traditions. In his book “Menggagas Pesantren Masa Depan,” Abdul Munir Mulkhan argues that the term “santri” within “pesantren” is derived from the Tamil language, meaning a religious teacher. Robson, however, suggests “santri” refers to people living in impoverished houses or religious buildings. Conversely, C.C. Berg believes it originates from an Indian language and refers to those studying holy texts.
Pesantren, with its boarding school system and Islamic knowledge system, is also known in other Muslim regions such as Madrassa (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), Hawza (Iran), Maktab (Egypt and other Arab countries), Zawiyya (Algeria, Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia), and Khalwa (Sudan).
Kyai plays a vital role in the Pesantren system; they are respected by their santri as ascetic teachers and religious leaders. The mosque becomes the Kyai’s office, providing lectures and guidance. However, as the number of santri increased and the mosque could no longer accommodate them, the Kyai decided to build dormitories. Thus, three elements are intrinsic to Pesantren: the prominence of Kyai, the mosque as the activity epicenter, and the santri’s obedience to Kyai and their society.
After Indonesia’s independence, Pesantren took steps to incorporate non-religious teachings into its system, aligning itself with modernity. Nevertheless, religious and moral subjects remain major components of Pesantren’s curriculum.
Moderate Islam
Today, a common misunderstanding exists among Indonesians regarding the term “moderate”. Many misinterpret “moderate” as a synonym for “radical” or “extreme”. This notion is fundamentally distorted and erroneous.
Why is this a mistake? Here’s the explanation. Contextually, the terms “radical” or “extreme” are viewed as antonyms of secular; a way of thinking that often posits a divergence between worldly matters (“dunyawiy”) and afterlife matters (“ukhrowiy”). However, Islamic teachings emphasize the connection between life and afterlife, offering a middle path between rational-material and irrational-immaterial perspectives.
Moderate Islam stems from the interpretation of the notion “wasatiyyah,” signifying a balanced and moderate way of life. Al Baqarah verse 143 states this matter; “And thus we have made you a wasat (moderate) community that you will be witnesses over the people”. Essentially, Muslims are expected to be balanced or moderate, not extreme or lax.
Pesantren as the Bastion of Moderate Islam
The arrival of Islam in Indonesia was unlike that in other contemporary Muslim regions. The violent approach to da’wah was not the common way to spread Islam in Indonesia. Instead, Wali Songo, the ancient Islamic preaching institution in Indonesia, focused on a socio-cultural approach emphasizing inclusivity and peace.
The legacy of Wali Songo has been preserved for centuries in Indonesia. An inclusive, moderate, and peaceful approach is deeply rooted in both personal and Islamic religious institutions in Indonesia.
However, Indonesian Muslims face a contemporary challenge with the emergence of “uninvited preachers” who disrupt the socio-cultural dynamics of Indonesia.
As a result, Islam’s image in the country has been tarnished by several incidents, such as violent acts (bombings) in the name of Jihaad or exclusive acts against followers of other religions.
Pesantren, as an Islamic education institution with significant influence over decades in Indonesia, ought to focus on enhancing the quality of santri. The goal is to prevent the influence of these “uninvited preachers”. Failure to do so could lead to the same situation as seen in several regions of the Middle East.