The State Must Be Present for Pesantren Dakwah
In many corners of the country far from urban centres, dakwah does not appear on glittering stages or in the glare of cameras. It lives in the quiet of small prayer houses, in modest homes, on mountain slopes, in forest interiors, on the outermost islands, and in border areas. In such places, the religious life of the community often rests on the presence of a santri who arrives bearing knowledge, adab, and a spirit of service.
In the pesantren tradition, this service is called khidmah. It is not merely a task, but part of the educational process itself. A santri does not only learn to understand classical texts and master religious knowledge, but also learns how to bring benefit to society. Therefore, when santri are sent to frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions (3T), they are in fact reviving one of the most fundamental functions of the pesantren: dakwah that is grounded in the community.
In the interior of Kalimantan, a dai must travel for hours along rivers to teach a few children to read the Qur’an. On a small island, a pesantren alumnus becomes the sole religious reference for the community. In border areas, santri become the people residents turn to for questions about family matters, children’s education, and even the resolution of social conflicts. Dakwah there is not merely preaching, but a presence that merges with the pulse of community life.
From this reality, it is clear that the dakwah function of pesantren is far broader than simply conveying religious teachings. Pesantren dakwah is accompaniment, service, education, and the strengthening of community social life. It becomes a bridge connecting religious values with the real needs of daily life.
The Long Road of Pesantren Dakwah
The path of pesantren dakwah is a long road inherited from generation to generation. It was not born of a fleeting programme, but of a tradition of scholarship and service that has grown over centuries.
In classical Islamic heritage, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in Ad-Da’wah ila Allah (1350 CE) affirmed that dakwah must be built upon wisdom, compassion, and exemplary conduct. Ibn Hisham in Sirah Nabawiyah (833 CE) showed that the dakwah of Prophet Muhammad SAW was not only the delivery of teachings, but also the building of society. Meanwhile, Abu Ishaq Al-Syatibi in Al-Muwafaqat (1388 CE) explained that the purpose of sharia is to bring benefit to humanity.
These principles found their social form in the pesantren tradition of the archipelago. For a long time, pesantren have not only been educational institutions, but also centres for cadre formation and the dispatch of khidmah santri to various regions of Indonesia and even the world.
Pesantren Sidogiri (1745) built a network of serving santri who spread as Qur’an teachers and community mentors. Pesantren Tremas Pacitan (1830) produced many ulama who preached in various regions of the archipelago. Pesantren Tebuireng (1899) strengthened the tradition of dakwah combined with the spirit of nationalism. Pondok Modern Gontor (1926) made cadre formation and community service an integral part of its educational system. Pesantren As’adiyah Sengkang (1930) became one of the important axes of dakwah in Eastern Indonesia. Pesantren As-Sunniyah Kencong (1948) developed community-based dakwah and community empowerment. Meanwhile, Pesantren Hidayatullah (1973) is widely known through its network of dai dispatched to reach interior regions, border areas, and 3T zones.
A similar story can be found in the Indonesia-Malaysia border area, precisely at Pesantren Mutiara Bangsa Sebatik. In an area directly facing the neighbouring country, the pesantren is present not only as an educational institution, but also as a guardian of the community’s national and religious identity. The dai and santri live together with the border community, teaching the Qur’an, building education, nurturing the younger generation, and strengthening love for the homeland. Some of them even settle, build families, and dedicate their lives to the borderland. Dakwah is no longer a fleeting activity, but a long process of building people and communities.
From Sidogiri to Hidayatullah, from Tremas to As’adiyah, one common thread is visible. Pesantren do not only educate santri to master religious knowledge, but also shape the character of service. A santri is not prepared merely to become a reader of classical texts, but to become a servant of the ummah. Therefore, many santri who finish their studies choose the path of khidmah by teaching in small madrasahs, nurturing majelis taklim, accompanying converts, or becoming imams in villages far from the centres of life.
Not a few also settle in their areas of service. They build simple homes near the mosque, establish educational institutions, raise families, and become part of the communities they serve. Dakwah then transforms into life itself.
Therefore, the expression of cultural figure and writer Candra Malik feels very close to the pesantren tradition: “Whoever serves, shall surely endure.” The khidmah santri may not be widely known, but their benefit continues to live in prayers, in the knowledge taught, and in the communities they accompany.
The State, Dai Cadre Formation, and the Future of Pesantren Dakwah
However, the long road of pesantren dakwah must not rest solely on individual sincerity. Pesantren have long proven their ability to become centres of dai cadre formation reaching various corners of the country. Yet the challenges facing society today are far more complex than in the past. Dai are not only confronted with religious issues, but also social change, the development of digital technology, social conflict, family problems, and the challenges of global culture.
Therefore, the cadre formation of pesantren dai needs more serious attention. Santri who will be deployed to communities need to be equipped not only with Islamic sciences, but also the ability to understand the socio-cultural context of communities, public communication, digital literacy, conflict management, strengthening religious moderation, and community empowerment skills.
This is where the state must be present. The state’s presence is not to replace the role of pesantren, but to strengthen it. The state needs to ensure that the dakwah function of pesantren does not run only because of the sincerity of santri and kiai, but is also supported by sustainable policies.
Law Number 18 of 2019 on Pesantren has affirmed that pesantren have three main functions: education, dakwah, and community empowerment. This recognition is an important step in positioning pesantren as a strategic part of national development.
Furthermore, institutional strengthening through the establishment of the Directorate General of Pesantren at the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia is a historic momentum to strengthen the dakwah function of pesantren more systematically. This momentum needs to be directed towards strengthening the santri khidmah programme, building a national dai cadre formation system based on pesantren, expanding the reach of dakwah to 3T regions, and increasing the capacity of dai serving in the field.
In the end, the strength of pesantren lies not only in their ability to teach knowledge, but in their ability to produce human beings willing to live for others. Meanwhile, the strength of the state lies not only in regulation, but in its ability to ensure that no corner of the country loses access to education, dakwah, and religious accompaniment.
When pesantren become the base of dai cadre formation, when khidmah santri continue to walk towards the remote corners of the nation, and when the state is present to strengthen their preparation and the ecosystem of service, then dakwah will no longer be a small movement on the margins of the republic. It will become a civilisational force that keeps Indonesia intact, from small prayer houses in the interior to the farthest borders of the nation.
For in the end, a great nation is not only one capable of building roads and buildings, but one capable of keeping the light of values burning in the hearts of its people. And as long as santri continue to walk carrying knowledge and service, that light will continue to live in the archipelago. Wallahul musta’an.