Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1301
عَن عبد الرَّحْمَن بن عبد الْقَارِي قَالَ: خَرَجْتُ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ لَيْلَةً فِي رَمَضَان إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَإِذَا النَّاسُ أَوْزَاعٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ يُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ فَيُصَلِّي بِصَلَاتِهِ الرَّهْطُ فَقَالَ عمر: إِنِّي أرى لَوْ جَمَعْتُ هَؤُلَاءِ عَلَى قَارِئٍ وَاحِدٍ لَكَانَ أَمْثَلَ ثُمَّ عَزَمَ فَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْب ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ لَيْلَةً أُخْرَى وَالنَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلَاة قارئهم. قَالَ عمر رَضِي الله عَنهُ: نعم الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ وَالَّتِي تَنَامُونَ عَنْهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّتِي تَقُومُونَ. يُرِيدُ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَكَانَ النَّاسُ يقومُونَ أَوله. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari said: One night in Ramadan, I went with Umar ibn al-Khattab to the mosque. The people were scattered in separate groups: one man praying alone, another praying with a small group behind him. Umar said: I think it would be better if I gathered them all behind one reciter. He resolved to do so and gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b. Another night I went out with him, and the people were praying behind their reciter. Umar said: What a good innovation this is. But the prayer you sleep through is better than the one you are performing. He meant the prayer at the end of the night, while the people were praying at its beginning. Al-Bukhari transmitted it.