The night of Nisfu Sya'ban is the night on the 15th of Sya'ban, or fifteen days before the month of Ramadan. This night is believed to have various virtues. For the Betawi Muslim community, Nisfu Sya'ban nights are usually celebrated by holding religious traditional rituals. The religious rituals of Nisfu Sya'ban were brought by Islamic scholars and Habaib from Yemen to Indonesia, especially Betawi.

The month of Sya'ban for the Betawi people is a month where many preparatory activities are carried out before the fasting month. The Betawi people call the month of Sya'ban as the month of Ruwah or Arwah (spirit). The Betawi people believe that before the fasting month, the departed ancestors come to the house to visit their families.

This kind of belief is then responded to by holding the Nisfu Sya'ban event or also commonly known as the Ruwahan event. In its implementation, the Nisfu Sya'ban tradition among the Betawi community invites relatives, neighbors and Ustad (Islamic priest), to pray for relatives and relatives who have died so that all their sins are forgiven during their lifetime and be placed in heaven.

In addition, some Betawi people on the night of Nisfu Sya'ban get together to the mosque after sunset prayers. They carry water in bottles or jugs. The water was read the Yasin prayer and some other prayers by the priest at the mosque. The water then was brought back to their homes to be drunk with the family.

In general, the sequence of Nisfu Sya'ban event is as follows: first, the provision of a foreword from a local priest which contains the subject of Nisfu Sya'ban. The second says tahlil, the third reciting the Yasin prayer three times which after reciting the first Yasin prayer is continued by praying to ask Allah SWT to be given health and prolonged life.

After reciting the second Yasin prayer, it is continued with a prayer that Allah SWT will provide an abundant and lawful sustenance. After the third reciting of Yasin, it is continued with a prayer for Allah SWT to establish faith and Islam, and the last reciting the Nisfu Sya’ban prayer and at the same time closing the commemoration of Nisfu Sya’ban.