'Umar Gathering the People for the Tarawih Prayer and the Imam's Obligation

Question:
The questioner asks: Is it true that 'Umar gathered the people for the tarawih prayer?

Answer:
Yes. The people in Ramadan, during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the time of Abu Bakr, and the early part of 'Umar's caliphate, used to pray in scattered groups, each group having its own imam. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went out one night and saw them scattered and distressed, so he gathered them under a single imam to pray behind him.
It is well known that the practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and 'Umar is among the best of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after Abu Bakr, is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said So gathering them under a single imam is part of the practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Also, 'Umar did this in the presence of the Muhajireen and the Ansar.
They agreed with him on this. These tarawih prayers are a manifest religious practice held in the mosques, but they must be held in the required manner. Some imams say this is not an obligation, some say 'Umar innovated it, and some try to escape from it because they are lazy.
This is a betrayal; it is a betrayal of the mosque and a betrayal of the congregation, because the imam is a guarantor. It is not permissible for him to disperse the congregation or deprive them of the tarawih prayer. Since he has committed to leading the prayer, he must perform it and not try to escape from it by going here and there. This is a trust. I ask Allah to hold him accountable on the Day of Resurrection. If he neglects the people and disperses them, he has not fulfilled the trust placed upon him, and Allah will ask him about it on the Day of Resurrection. If he does not see the holding of the tarawih prayer as necessary, or if he is lazy about it, he should not take on the imamate of the mosque. He should leave the imamate of the mosque to someone else who will perform it, so that he does not deprive the people of this great virtue. Also, he would be a bad example for the lazy. When people see that he does not hold the tarawih prayer, they become lazy, because most people love laziness. They rejoice in this, and he becomes a bad example. So the imams of the mosques, may Allah grant them success, must fulfill the trust they have taken on and not deprive their congregation of the tarawih prayer in the required manner. Some of them rush through it and leave quickly, and people go to them specifically for the speed. This is not permissible. This is also a betrayal of the followers and a deprivation of the followers. The imam must be trustworthy and a good example. If he steps forward to lead the prayer, he must perform it properly, or leave it to someone else. Otherwise, Allah will ask him about it on the Day of Resurrection.