March 16, 2026 | 04:32 pm
Environmentally friendly Islamic boarding schools are promoting sustainable living. They are local agents of transformation for people living nearby.
ECO-FRIENDLY Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, represent a breakthrough amidst the curriculum’s rigidity and dogmatic religious teachings. This type of pesantren is more than simply an educational and preaching institute but is a place for the growth of knowledge that is sensitive to environmental conservation.
One environmentally friendly pesantren practice is the promotion of sustainable living. Islamic teachings, such as environmental jurisprudence, are combined with other nature conservation principles. A number of Islamic boarding schools manage waste, plant trees, and make use of solar energy to create a sustainable ecosystem.
Six boarding schools featured in Tempo’s special report this week are actively spreading this spirit. At the Baabussalam Al-Amin Pesantren in East Lampung, for instance, the kiai (teachers) and his students have constructed a mini-dam to harness water for hydroelectric power. Meanwhile, at the Nurul Falah Pesantren in Magelang, Central Java, hundreds of students have worked together to plant trees for land restoration.
The Krapyak Pesantren in Yogyakarta has involved the santri (students) and the surrounding community in applying integrated waste management—from sorting and collecting to recycling. The principle is that today’s waste must be settled today. Waste is recycled into compost and used as a replacement for animal feed. And this waste processing also produces biogas that can be used for cooking.
Amidst critiques of the boarding school system, which often considered insular and tethered to rigid texts, the presence of these institutions offers hope: pesantren is capable of adapting to the challenges of the times. They reinterpret Islamic teachings on nature conservation, for example, transforming waste management into an act of piety (waste as alms), planting trees as “oxygen donation,” and designating springs as waqf (charitable endowments) for conservation.
In the hands of these environmentally conscious kiai and santri, traditional Islamic texts are restored to their social function. As well as a doctrine about seeking personal pahala (reward) from good works, these texts become a starting point for changing the behavior of people living in and around the school. They grounded Qur’anic verses and hadiths (a tradition based on the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad) on banning environmental damage in their daily activities.
Consequently, they link tauhid (monotheism), fiqh (jurisprudence), and akhlak (morality) to contemporary issues such as the climate crisis, flooding, pollution, and deforestation. When studying the chapter on thaharah (purification) from the classic text Fath al-Qarib, for instance, students are led into discussions on water conservation. These texts are now understood as a social mandate to reduce emissions and preserve biodiversity.
The initiative to preserve the environment began in the time of the Prophet. Through the concept of hima (protection), Prophet Muhammad designated protected areas to preserve grasslands, forests, and water sources from overexploitation. Meanwhile, the concept of harim (sacred area) was introduced as a spatial planning mechanism to prevent resource conflicts and environmental degradation.
It all stems from the principle that humans are caliphs (stewards) on earth, duty-bound to maintain the common ishlah (good) and prevent fasad (ruin). Mankind is not an absolute owner but a steward responsible for the balance of nature. As such, humans are obliged to use resources wisely to bring prosperity to the earth.
In fact, many still view environmental issues as secular concerns rather than a component of worship. Qur’anic verses or hadiths regarding nature are often positioned as complementary rather than binding ethical mandates. Meanwhile, classical interpretations are rarely revisited through the lens of the ecological crisis.
In practice, a number of Islamic boarding schools do not position environmental issues as a curricular theme linked with tauhid, fiqh, and akhlak. And those boarding schools occupied by scripturalist groups close their minds to the renewal of thought. They are frequently exposed to radicalism, which leads to violence. According to the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), at least 198 pesantren have at some time been affiliated with terrorist networks.
Pesantren should be open places that receive different ijtihad (opinions). Dialogue between kiai, pesantren managers, and santri is important to instill ecological awareness rooted in local traditions. The involvement of female student is also the key to the success of the green Islam movement. Although the patriarchal culture sometimes places limits on the role of women, gender-inclusive pesantren have proven to be more effective in environment conservation.
These eco-friendly pesantren that are open to exchanges of ideas could become local agents of transformation with a positive impact on people living nearby at a time of global climate crisis.
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The Philosophy of Spatial Planning and Social Learning
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