BENEFIT: Is Prayer Valid in a Masjid with “O Allah, O Muhammad” Written on Its Wall?

Question: The questioner says: “I prayed in a masjid where the words ‘O Allah, O Muhammad’ were written on its wall. Is my prayer valid?” Sheikh AbdulAziz Ar-Rayyis: The answer to this question is: Writing such a phrase is not permissible. It is not correct to say “O Muhammad!” If someone says “O Muhammad!” and, as part of the supplication, he is asking him for something, then this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). May Allah protect me and you from that. This is because supplication is an act of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. Allah, the Exalted, said: “Your Lord said: Call upon Me, I will answer you. Indeed, those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter Hell in humiliation.” So Allah described supplication as worship. It is also reported in the collections of hadith that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Supplication is worship.” Therefore, something like this must be removed. It is not appropriate for it to remain in the masjids of Muslims or in any other place. As for whether the prayer is valid: the prayer itself is valid, and this writing on the wall does not affect the validity of the prayer. However, it is necessary to object to this matter and advise those responsible for the masjid to remove it. Source: https://t.me/almanhajussalafi/2380