The ruling on the congregation standing when the imam enters the mosque

Question:
Do the people in the congregation stand as soon as they see the imam entering through the mosque door?

Answer:
If it is the imam's custom that the iqamah is called as soon as he enters, they do not stand until the iqamah is called and they see that he has entered. This is because Bilal used to call the iqamah when he saw that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had entered. The iqamah may be called before the imam enters, based on the appointment he had with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). His statement: "until they see that the imam has entered."