Abstract: UIN Sultan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi, Indonesia Religious moderation in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) emerges through the interplay of religious authority, cultural traditions, and inherited intellectual practices. This study examines how the leadership vision of a charismatic kyai shapes the cultivation of religious moderation at Al-Baqiyatush Shalihat Islamic Boarding School in Jambi Province, Indonesia. Adopting a qualitative case study design, the research draws on in-depth and unstructured interviews with the kyai, teachers, and students, observations of the kyai’s everyday activities, and documentary analysis of the institution’s vision, curriculum, and policies. The data were analysed through reduction, display, verification, and conclusion drawing, with triangulation used to strengthen credibility. The findings identify two interconnected mechanisms through which religious moderation is articulated. First, local cultural heritage, including religious gatherings and communal traditions, provides a setting for transmitting tolerance, solidarity, and inclusive religious attitudes. Second, classical Islamic scholarship and authoritative texts, including al-Fatawa at-Tunkaliyah, serve as sources of religious legitimacy through which moderation is interpreted and communicated across generations. These cultural and intellectual resources reinforce the kyai’s moral authority while connecting established Islamic traditions with engagement in religiously diverse communities. The study argues that charismatic leadership in pesantren can provide an important institutional pathway for cultivating religious moderation by bringing cultural continuity, scholarly authority, and inclusive social relations into dialogue. This perspective highlights the significance of locally grounded religious leadership in understanding how moderation is negotiated and sustained within Indonesian Islamic educational institutions. Keywords: Charismatic Leadership; Kyai; Religious Moderation; Pesantren; Classical Islamic Scholarship