Chapter: When does one catch the bowing (Ruku') with the Imam?
• I asked Ahmad: When does a man catch the bowing with the Imam? He said: "When he places his hands on his knees and bows before the Imam raises his head."
• And Ishaq said something similar to that as well.
777 - Amr ibn Uthman narrated to us, he said: Baqiyyah narrated to us, he said: Abu Amr narrated to us, from Abdah ibn Abi Lubabah, he said: "Whoever catches the people while they are bowing, he has caught that Rak'ah and its recitation."
778 - Yahya ibn Abd al-Hamid narrated to us, he said: Ibn 'Uyaynah narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, he said: "If he places his hands on his knees, he has caught the bowing."
Chapter: What a man says at the opening of the prayer
• Abu Abd Allah was asked about what to say at the opening of the prayer? He said: "It is: 'Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaraka ismuka, wa ta'ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruk' (Glory is to You, O Allah, and with Your praise, blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no deity worthy of worship besides You); all with the conjunction 'wa' (and). Likewise in the Tashahhud: 'Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh' (I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger).' Some of them said: One should say: 'Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, tabaraka ismuka...' without the conjunction 'wa'."
• I heard Ishaq say: "When you say the Takbir—meaning for the opening of the prayer—say: 'Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaraka ismuka, wa ta'ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruk,' then seek refuge (with Allah from the Shaytan). If you do not add anything to the Takbir, it is sufficient for you, provided you have an excuse, such as one who catches the Imam while he is bowing, and similar reasons. As for doing so intentionally, one should not omit it. If one omits it intentionally, he is an evildoer (musi'), yet it is not clear that there is an obligation for repetition, because it is mentioned in more than one Hadith that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said the Takbir, he would recite the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatihah)."
