I went out with Umar bin Khattab during Ramadan to the masjid, and there were the people in scattered groups. One man would pray by himself, and another would pray with a small band following his prayer.Umar said, "By Allah, I think that if I gathered these people behind a single reciter, it would be better."So he gathered them behind Ubayy bin Kaab.Then I went out with him on another night, and the people were praying behind their reciter.Umar said, "What an excellent innovation this is. But the portion you sleep through is better than the portion in which you stand," meaning the last part of the night, for the people were standing in prayer at its beginning.
حدثني مالك عن ابن شهاب عن عروة بن الزبير
خرجت مع عمر بن الخطاب في رمضان إلى المسجد فإذا الناس أوزاع متفرقون يصلي الرجل لنفسه ويصلي الرجل فيصلي بصلاته الرهط فقال عمر والله إني لأراني لو جمعت هؤلاء على قارئ واحد لكان أمثل فجمعهم على أبي بن كعب قال ثم خرجت معه ليلة أخرى والناس يصلون بصلاة قارئهم فقال عمر نعمت البدعة هذه والتي تنامون عنها أفضل من التي تقومون يعني آخر الليل وكان الناس يقومون أوله