Is it permissible for a worshipper to bow before reaching the row to catch a rak'ah with the Imam?

If a latecomer bows before reaching the row to catch the rak'ah with the Imam, his action is makrooh (disliked) but his prayer is, in sha' Allah, valid. This is based on the hadeeth of Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him): "He reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was bowing, so he bowed before reaching the row. He mentioned that to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: '(May Allah increase your eagerness, but do not repeat it).'"

This hadeeth indicates the validity of the prayer of one who bows outside the row, while the act itself is makrooh due to the Prophet's saying, "but do not repeat it." This is what Al-Shafi'i, Al-Khattabi, and Ibn Hajar agreed upon. The scholars of the Permanent Committee and Ibn 'Uthaymeen said that bowing outside the row is contrary to the Sunnah and is forbidden.