What is the ruling on someone who deliberately does not go to the mosque until after hearing the Iqama, dislikes waiting for the prayer, knowing that the mosque is close, and joins the prayer after the recitation of Al-Fatiha in the first Rak'ah?

This person has missed out on a great deal of good by intentionally missing the opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram), and has also missed the reward of waiting for the prayer and arriving early for it. For a servant is considered to be in prayer as long as he is waiting for it in the mosque, and the angels supplicate for his forgiveness and mercy. Congregational prayer exceeds the prayer of an individual by twenty-five degrees. Among the reasons for attaining khushu' (devotion) in prayer are going to it with tranquility, performing the Sunnah prayers before it, and occupying oneself with dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and the Qur'an. A great virtue has been reported concerning the attainment of the opening takbir.