What is the ruling if a worshiper joins the imam in the funeral prayer and has missed some of the takbirs? What should he do? We ask for clarification regarding the funeral prayer.

The questioner : A questioner says: If I joined the imam in the funeral prayer and he had already said some of the takbirs, what is the ruling and what should I do? We ask for clarification regarding the funeral prayer. May Allah guide you.

The Shaykh : The funeral prayer is a collective obligation, and the one who performs it receives the reward of one who fulfills an obligatory duty. If a person joins the prayer and the imam has already said some of the takbirs, he joins him and recites the supplication associated with the takbir the imam has said. If we assume he joined while the imam was on the third takbir, and the third takbir is the one in which one supplicates for the deceased, then he joins him and supplicates for the deceased. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Then, when the imam concludes the funeral prayer with the taslim, the ma'mum completes what he missed, provided the funeral remains until he finishes. If it is removed before he finishes, he may conclude with the taslim, or he may say the remaining takbirs consecutively and then conclude with the taslim. This is what the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said in this issue.