Does the congregant say only the opening Takbir (Takbirat al-Ihram) if he catches the Imam standing in a rak'ah other than the first, or does he say the opening Takbir and the Takbir of moving from prostration to standing?
If one catches the Imam while he is standing, he should only say the takbirat al-ihram and then follow him. However, if one catches the Imam while he is prostrating, there is a difference of opinion among scholars: some hold that one should say the takbir for the transition, while others prohibit this except in the ruku' (bowing), which is the position of the Shafi'i school. The preponderant view according to the Shafi'i school is that one does not say the takbir for the transition if he catches the Imam prostrating, or sitting between the two prostrations, or in the tashahhud, because that (position) is not counted for him, unlike the ruku'.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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