The ruling on one who prays while wearing an amulet

This is a message we received from the questioner, Salah ibn Ahmad ibn al-Tab, from the White Nile State in the Kordofan region of Sudan. He says: What is the ruling on one who prays or performs any of the acts of worship while wearing an amulet?
Answer: The amulet is forbidden and not permissible, and it is minor shirk (associating partners with Allah). It may lead to major shirk. His prayer is valid if he has not attached his heart to that amulet and does not believe that it causes harm or benefit; meaning, he has not fallen into major shirk. Minor shirk does not invalidate acts of worship; only showing off (riya') invalidates the act it accompanies. As for the type of amulet, if a person hangs an amulet around his neck or on his hand—some people call it a charm, some call it a veil, and some call it a collection—and it is made of beads, bones, or talismans (disconnected letters), or verses from the Qur'an, or Prophetic supplications, or otherwise, and they hang them on children to protect against the evil eye, or perhaps hang them to protect against jinn, or hang them on an adult or a sick person—all of this is wrong and not permissible. However, this does not prevent the validity of the prayer. He is a Muslim and his prayer is valid, and this is an error on his part; because it is minor shirk and something to be avoided, but it does not become major shirk. It does not rise to the level of major shirk unless he attaches his heart to it and believes that it acts independently to heal and benefit, not believing that it is a cause, but rather thinking or believing that it heals by itself. This is a belief of great danger and is major shirk. But in most cases, the Muslim does not believe that; rather, he thinks they are causes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) made clear the prohibition of these amulets and the prohibition of hanging them.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the believer to repent to Allah from that if he did this, and likewise, it is obligatory for the believing woman to repent to Allah from this matter, and to cut these amulets and be cautious of them absolutely, even if they are made of verses from the Qur'an. It is obligatory to cut them; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade amulets and warned against all of them without making any exception; and because hanging amulets from the Qur'an is a means to hanging other amulets. Therefore, it is obligatory to block the door of shirk and its means. This is my advice to every Muslim: that it is obligatory for him to be cautious of amulets and charms, so that he does not hang them on his wrist, his neck, or anywhere else, not on his child, not on his wife, and not on anyone else. Rather, he should take refuge in Allah and seek protection with the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created, and he should engage in the prescribed dhikr (remembrance of Allah), the prescribed daily recitations, and good supplications, and that is sufficient, with no need for amulets or charms. This is what is obligatory for every Muslim. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you and reward you with good.