Its obligatory elements are: standing and four takbirs, …

His statement, “Its obligatory elements are: standing,” means: what is required in it. What is not meant is the technical term wājib (obligatory), which is distinct from an integral or a condition. Rather, “obligatory” here means that which is required in it; thus, this does not preclude it from being an integral, just as we say that reciting al-Fātiḥah is obligatory in the prayer.

Thus, his statement, “Its obligatory elements,” does not mean something distinct from its integrals, for what the author has mentioned here consists of its integrals.

His statement, “standing,” means that it is obligatory when the funeral prayer is obligatory. Accordingly, if the funeral prayer is repeated a second time, standing in the second prayer is sunnah rather than obligatory, because a repeated prayer is not obligatory.

His statement, “and four takbirs,” means that they are integrals, for each takbir is equivalent to a rak‘ah.

His statement, “four,” means: no fewer than four. One may add a fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth; all of this has been reported. However, what is established in Sahih Muslim is up to five (1): Zayd ibn Arqam—may Allah be pleased with him—“performed the funeral prayer over a deceased person and said five takbirs, and informed them that this was from the practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.” Therefore, imams should sometimes say five takbirs over the deceased, thereby reviving the sunnah. Some people may say, “Our imam forgot and added a fifth,” but if he does it from time to time and explains to the people that this is from the sunnah, then that is good.

Question: If we say five takbirs, what do we say after the fourth and the fifth?