The Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), said: "The Hour will not come to pass until people vie in boasting with each other in building masjids." [Abu Dawud]
The majority of the jurists (may Allah have mercy upon them) are of the view that it is disliked to decorate masjids with gold or silver, or engrave them, or write on them, or do any other thing that might distract the praying person from his prayer. The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "I have not been ordered to build high and lofty masjids." [Ibn Habbaan] Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) said: "Indeed you will embellish the masjids [and decorate them] in a similar way the Christians and Jews did to their places of worship." Imam Maalik and Ahmad (may Allah have mercy upon them) also disliked the decoration of masjids. Some jurists of the Hanbali and Shaafi'ee school are of the view that it is forbidden to decorate masjids with gold or silver, and any such decoration should be removed, because it is a waste of money, and hurts the feelings of the poor.