Pesantren is a representation of traditional Islamic education, which according to Nusantara Islam experts is referred to as “the great traditional Islamic education”. This appears intact when the pesantren offers a collaborative-based curriculum, fiqh and tasawwuf.

The Qur’an and Hadith become the main sources of the basis of pesantren education, supported by ijma’ and Qiyas. The approach is also decorated with tirakat or self tempering, dhikr, night prayers, fasting, and so on.

KH Husain Ilyas explained that “traditional Islamic education does in fact continue to exist, but its movement adapts to the development and contextualization of the times”. This has the interpretation that tradition as a principle does not close itself to accepting social and knowledge developments.

Pesantren is generally understood as a space for Islamic education that has a traditional character. In fact, it is not uncommon for western scientists to say that it is conservative and old-fashioned. This is reflected in how their perspective often conflates pesantren with low social strata.

However, this view is gradually refuted and proven by various experiences of santri who take part in building social life. We can see that since the 18th-20th centuries many Nusantara santri figures have taken part in becoming educators outside the archipelago. His work has also become a reference to this day.

Syeh Nawawi Bantani, Syeh Mahfud Termas, Kyai Hasyim As’ari, Mbah Maimun Zubair, in Modern times there are thoughts of Gus Dur, Gus Mus, KH Husain Ilyas, Romo Yai Agus Sunyoto with his books Atlas Walisongo. In the Post-modern era there is Gus Yahya for example, and so on.

This means that the work of santri in thought participates in representing social movement and development. In almost all social lines, the santri’s thoughts also color, even dominate.

Thus, the predicate of traditional education is indeed a sign that pesantren education is an Islamic education with the principle of tradition or culture that is closely guarded, but not at all stagnant. The pesantren actually participates in taking spaces and filling portions in the development and progress of the era.

In short, pesantren also place themselves in the movement and pace of the development of the era. It even oversees the progress. Pribumisasi Islam offered by Gus Dur is not a context of ignorance, but the contextualization of Islam in the social spaces of society is very important.

The culture in each country and region is different, Islam which is the religion is basically the same fiqh. But is it then imposed in social spaces that are geographically and orderly different from the area where Islam was born? This certainly requires a pattern of ijma’ and Qiyas.

So that Islamic education, especially pesantren, can take part and contextualize Islam as a religion and value, so that it continues to move according to the times. Because the dynamics of knowledge do not stop but continue to find changes.

Therefore, pesantren is part of an educational forum to welcome these changes.”[]