What is the virtue of catching the opening takbir behind the imam?

Question : What constitutes catching the virtue of the opening takbir behind the imam? Is it by saying the takbir immediately after him, or by entering the prayer before the imam begins the al-Fatihah?

Answer : The apparent view is the first one, Ahmad. The apparent view is that it is immediately after him, because that is the reality of following the imam. The time for the opening supplication may be long, causing the ma'mum's takbir to be separated from the imam's takbir.