Taken from: Fatawa ʿIlmiyyah – Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām
Question:
If the funeral prayer has already started and one or two takbīrs have been said, and a person joins late, what should he do after the imam says the final salām?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
The ruling for someone who joins Salat al-Janazah late is as follows:
❀ He should say the takbīrs he catches along with the imam.
❀ After the imam says the final salām, he should complete the remaining takbīrs that he missed.
❀ He should finish before the funeral bier is lifted.
Meaning:
A latecomer should recite with the imam whatever takbīrs he can join in time, and after the imam ends the prayer, he must complete the missed takbīrs — but all this must be done before the body is carried away.
Fatwa:
This is also the official position of al-Lajnah ad-Dāʾimah lil-Iftāʾ (Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’) – Fatāwā al-Lajnah (8/399).
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
