A pesantren is a traditional Islamic boarding school located in Indonesia. The name is derived from the root word "santri," which refers to a student, making the term literally mean "the place of the santri." These institutions are typically situated within private houses, mosques, or dedicated dormitories known as pondoks.
The primary goal of a pesantren is to deepen knowledge of the Quran through the study of Arabic, traditions of exegesis, Islamic law, logic, and the Sayings of the Prophet. Students learn from instructors called kyais who teach classical Islamic texts and santri thought. One popular tradition suggests that this education system originated from traditional Javanese pondokan, which were dormitories or ashrams used to study religious philosophies, martial arts, and meditation.
While unique to the Indonesian context, similar institutions exist across the Islamic world. These are referred to as pondok in Malaysia and Southern Thailand, while they are known as madrasas in India, Pakistan, and much of the Arabic-speaking world.