Is the prayer valid for one who lags behind the imam until he finishes al-Fatihah?

Question:
This questioner says: A man was sitting, he was sitting, and when the imam finished al-Fatihah, he stood up and said the takbir for his prayer. Is his prayer valid?

Answer:
Yes, his prayer is valid if he says the takbir, even if it is after the imam has finished reciting al-Fatihah; his prayer is valid. But suppose he came and did not catch anything but the ruku' with the imam; he bows with the imam, his prayer is valid, and he is considered to have caught the rak'ah, and the standing is dropped from him because he did not catch it. As for a person who is sitting and does not stand up until the imam bows, this is not permissible because he left the pillar of standing; he left the pillar of standing, so this is not permissible for him and his prayer is not valid. He should not sit and not stand up unless the imam says the takbir while bowing; he says the takbir and bows with him. In that case, he has missed the rak'ah because he did not catch the standing, and the standing is a pillar of the pillars of the prayer. The scholars have determined that its minimum is the amount of time it takes to recite al-Fatihah; it is the amount of time it takes to recite al-Fatihah.