but it may still serve as supporting evidence. Moreover, it is an act of worship that begins with takbīr and therefore concludes with the salām, like the prescribed prayer.
The sequence of the integrals of the funeral prayer is obligatory: one begins with al-Fātiḥah, then sends blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and then offers the supplication. Thus, none of these is to precede another. Likewise, all four takbīrs must be completed. If he gives the salām after two takbīrs out of forgetfulness, he completes them if only a short interval has passed; but if a long interval has passed, he repeats the prayer.
“Whoever misses any of the takbīrs should make it up in its proper manner.”
His statement, “Whoever misses any of the takbīrs should make it up in its proper manner,” means: in the manner appropriate to what he missed, based on the general meaning of the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “Whatever you miss, complete it.” (1)
The author’s words, “any of the takbīrs,” indicate that each takbīr is comparable to a rakʿah.
Issue: If someone joins the imam at the third takbīr, should he recite al-Fātiḥah, or should he supplicate for the deceased, since this is the place for supplication?
The answer: What appears correct to me is that he should supplicate for the deceased. This applies even according to the view that whatever the latecomer first catches of the prayer counts as the beginning of his own prayer. In the funeral prayer, he should follow the imam in what the imam is doing. For if we were to tell one who joined the imam at the third takbīr, “Recite al-Fātiḥah,” and then the imam were to say the fourth takbīr, and we were to tell him, “Send blessings upon the Prophet,” then, if the bier were carried away, he would miss the opportunity to supplicate for the deceased.
The apparent meaning of the author’s statement, “Whoever misses any of the takbīrs should make it up in its proper manner,” is that this is obligatory.
It also apparently indicates that he should make it up whether he fears that the bier will be carried away or not.