Pesantren al-Risalah li al-Dirasah al-Islamiyyah (al-Risalah Institute for Islamic Studies) was established on 22 October 2018. The pesantren was initiated by H. Zuhri and Hj. Maemonah, both educators at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The establishment of this pesantren was motivated by the founders’ aspiration to create a space for sharing knowledge and to serve as a more communicative forum for addressing academic challenges faced by students (santri), teachers (ustadz), and caregivers (pengasuh).
Accordingly, in its early phase, the pesantren was specifically designed to accommodate university students who experienced difficulties in securing housing as well as in completing their academic assignments.