Is the Thought of the Prophet ﷺ in Prayer Suggestive of Shirk?

Question

Who is the one who does not regard the Prophet ﷺ as a human being? And if the thought of the Prophet ﷺ comes in prayer, is that worse even than [the thought of] a dog and a pig?

Answer

Deliberately fixing the image of the Noble Prophet ﷺ in prayer in such a way that one’s attention rests entirely on him alone and no thought of anything else enters the heart is absolutely forbidden; indeed, it is iham al-shirk (that which suggests shirk)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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