Established in 1999, when the economic crisis was at its worst, Al-Zaytun rose as swiftly as a meteor to become Southeast Asia's most modern and most imposing pesantren, a school for Islamic studies with boarding facilities. Its success story, however, has aroused perplexing questions, such as the mysterious background of its leader, Abdus Salam Panji Gumilang.

There's nothing strange about this pesantren, whose effective management has been lauded even by its critics. An investigation by TEMPO, however, has found links between Panji Gumilang and the Indonesian Islamic State of Regional Command 9 (NII KW 9) and found manipulative practices in its fund raising methods as well as its penchant towards worshiping its leaders.