Amid the bustle of modern education, pesantren stands calmly like an oasis in a barren desert. Its presence soothes through simplicity that shapes resilient and independent santri characters. This piece highlights pesantren's potential in halal industry development and Islamic education.
Pesantren holds great potential for pioneering and developing the halal industry, as outlined in an analysis by Muhammad Irfanudin Kurniawan, Ph.D, a lecturer at Universitas Darunnajah, Jakarta. Published on October 31, 2025, the article portrays pesantren as Indonesia's oldest educational institutions in Nusantara, emphasizing unique Indonesian wisdom, including independent pesantren economies and pesantren lipsus.
Santri and teachers in pesantren set aside luxuries, living independently with sufficiency, focusing on life's essence: learning, worship, and social interaction without material distractions. This pattern shapes santri characters that are independent, resilient, humble, and value process over instant results. Each pesantren holds stories of unannounced sincerity, struggles amid limitations, where the best management arises from sincere intention, togetherness, and adaptation to change.
Intention (niat) serves as the spiritual foundation, distinguishing habitual actions from worship and measuring Allah's reward—the more sincere, the greater the reward. Pesantren is a living learning ecosystem where management, leadership, and spirituality blend naturally. Santri are accustomed to learning for easy reflection (tadabur), increasing both knowledge and faith, while kiai lead with bashirah or clear inner vision. For instance, pesantren kitchens never run out of rice for hundreds of santri, demonstrating harmonious governance.
To strengthen pesantren's relevance, Universitas Darunnajah has opened a Master's Program in Islamic Education Management with a concentration in Pesantren Management. The goal is not to turn pesantren into corporations but to enhance capacity for continued dialogue with the future, supporting nation-building through moderate Islam and santri wisdom.