If one catches the imam while he is bowing, does he say one takbir or two?

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, he says: If I enter the mosque and the imam is bowing, do I say the takbir of entering prayer, or am I required to say two takbirs, one for entering prayer and one for bowing?

Answer:
The takbir of entering prayer is a pillar of the prayer, and it is obligatory to perform it while standing. As for the takbir of transition, it is a recommended practice (sunnah) in this situation. If you perform it, that is better, and if you do not perform it, your prayer is valid. Yes.