Q 2: did not the Salaf (right predecessors) offer the Tarawih Prayer (special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan) in congregation?

A: The Tarawih Prayer is a Sunnah (a commendable act) reported from Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). He (peace be upon him) has urged Muslims to offer the Tarawih Prayer during Ramadan, saying: Anyone who observes the Prayer at night during Ramadan (i.e. Tarawih Prayer), out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, their previous sins will be forgiven. The Prophet (peace be upon him) offered it in congregation with his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet - may Allah be pleased with them) for three successive nights, then he abstained from leading them in it and offered it at home individually lest it might be made obligatory for Muslims. Al-Bukhari related in his Sahih (authentic) Book of Hadith on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that one night the Prophet (peace be upon him) led Muslims in a night Prayer. On the second night, the people began to gather in large numbers to offer the night Prayer. On the third or the fourth night, more people gathered to offer the night Prayer, but he (peace be upon him) did not go out to lead them in this Prayer. The following morning, he said: I saw what you were doing, but I desisted to come to you (and lead the Prayer) for fear that it (i.e. This Prayer) might become obligatory for you. The Prophet (peace be upon him) urged his Sahabah to offer this night Prayer; some of them offered it individually and others offered it in a congregation of two or three persons. Muslims remained doing so during the era of the Caliph Abu Bakr and the first years of the era of the Caliph `Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them). `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then saw that Muslims were better to be led in the Tarawih Prayer by one Imam when he was sure that it would never be made obligatory because the Wahy (Revelation) had stopped after the death of (Part No. 6; Page No. 79) the Prophet (peace be upon him). Thus, he decided to gather them in the Tarawih Prayer as led by Tamim Al-Dary and Ubay ibn Ka`b (may Allah be pleased with both of them), since their gathering and listening to the Qur'an during the Prayer would entail much good. As a result, Muslims have been offering this Prayer in congregation up to the present time and all praise be to Allah!May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.