In Arabic, Sahibul Hikayat means one who has a story. Still, it can also tell a story, namely in the form of free stories originating from Middle Eastern, Persian, and One Thousand and One Nights stories that have been adapted to society's current situation. There are stories about Hasan-Husin, Indra Bangsawan, Marakarma, etc.

In its current development, a story is written by the Hikayat himself. The story is told in prose, with the addition of a few rhyme verses here and there as the main attraction of the story. Sometimes religious sermons are also included.

In the past, when people had a circumcision, married, moved out, before leaving for the pilgrimage, or on Islamic holidays, the Betawi people often invited a storyteller. Performances of this art of speaking can last all night.

Several amateur radio stations have also performed Sahibul Hikayat as a serial story sponsored by entrepreneurs.

Hikayat tellers usually tell a story while sitting cross-legged. Some hold a pillow on their lap or accentuate the storyline, occasionally hitting a small drum or tambourine. The story always begins with reading praise, blessings, and prayers.

Opening sentences are often used at the story's beginning or when moving scenes, such as 'said sahibul hikayat,' 'words that have a story,' or 'syahdan.'

Among the Hikayat Interpreters in the past, the most famous is Mohammad Zaid, better known as Wak Jait. So the term Sahibul Hikayat is often referred to as Ngejait. Wak Jait passed on his speaking skills to his son, Sofyan Zahid.

The art of telling Sahibul Hikayat still exists today. One of the storytellers is Yahya Andi Saputra, a Betawi artist who is also an administrator for the Betawi Cultural Institute and the Jakarta Oral Traditions Association.

Source: Processed from various sources.