When exactly do you say "allahu akbar" during salah?

Question

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

I am a revert to Islam and have a question concerning the precise timing of when to say "allahu akbar" during prayer.

I was told by one party that you say "allahu akbar" only when you find yourself in an entirely upright position (i.e., your head points towards heaven; e.g., after you have finished switching from sujud to the intermediate sitting position or directly before you bow down for ruku).

A second party told me that you say it at the beginning of changing from one position to another (e.g., you say it when you intend to rise from sujud and then you rise or you do both simultaneously).

A third party told me that they are not sure, but that they simply do it when it feels right (sometimes before they change positions, sometimes whilst they change positions, etc.).

What is the correct opinion concerning this?

Answer 1

It is said simultaneously with the movement from one position to another. You say it while you are going down for the ruku or sujud and while you are rising from the sujud.

عن أبي هريرة أنه كان يكبر كلما خفض ورفع ويحدث أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يفعل ذلك

Abu Huraira used to recite Takbir on all occasions of rising and bending (in prayer) and narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to do like that.

^{— Sahih Muslim}

‏ ثم يكبر حين يهوي ساجدا ثم يكبر حين يرفع رأسه

Then recite the Takbir when getting down for prostration, then say the Takbir on raising his head

^{— Sahih Muslim}

References:

• IslamQA
• IslamWeb
• Jurisprudence according to the four schools

Answer 2

Abu Huraira said that when God’s Messenger got up to pray he would say the takbir when standing, then say the takbir when bowing, then say, “God listens to him who praises Him” when coming to an erect position after bowing, then say while standing, “To Thee, our Lord, be the praise,” then say the takbir when getting down for prostration, then say the takbir when he raised his head, then say the takbir when he prostrated himself, then say the takbir when he raised his head. He would do that throughout the whole prayer till he finished it, and he would say the takbir when he got up at the end of two rak'as after adopting the sitting posture.

(Bukhari and Muslim.) (Mishkat al-Masabih 799)