Instagram followers of Liverpool star player, Mo Salah, have expressed diverse opinion about his Christmas Day Instagram post showing him and his family in front of a giant Christmas tree.

Salah, a Muslim from Egypt, his daughter and hijab-clad wife had taken a family photograph in front of a well-decorated Christmas tree, and had shared it on his verified Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/p/B6gm5ZQBIqr/?igshid=nhq2t4ijsqb4
The post was accompanied by emojis of two pine trees, without any wishes.

However, the post, which had generated 2.6m views and 36,700 comments, has divided his Instagram followers.

While some of his followers saw it as a celebration of his family life, others commended him for his objectivity towards another faith.
Some of his followers also felt that, as a Muslim, Salah had gone beyond the boundaries.

He was compared with fellow Muslim and French professional footballer, Karim Mostafa Benzema, who plays as a striker for Spanish club Real Madrid and the France national team.

Salah was advised to emulate Benzema who did not say anything about Christmas to his teeming 31.6m Instagram followers.
See some of the comments for and against Mo Salah’s Christmas tree family photograph:

“@mosalah are you aware that you are celebrating the claim that Allah the one, the sustainer & controller had a son who was given birth on this day? Have you lost your mind” —mbizzofficial

Writing in Turkish, senol.usta.05 says, “Müslümanlığı ile övünüp takip ettimiz Salah’a bakın. Adam christmas için çam deviriyor. Seni daha takip etmem!!! Adam değilmişsin Salah” (Google translate: We watched Salah, who was proud of his Islamism takip The man is throwing pine for Christmas. I will not follow you again !!! You’re not a man, Salah).

“Celebrating Christmas is a sin. Really surprised to see you next tree. Karim Benzema is also a Muslim and did not. Then Merry Christmas to you!” —muhammad.k_01

“Salah you’re a Muslim so how you celebrate Christmas
? It’s not allowed to celebrate Christmas when you are a muslim. But I respect all religions
Mohamed Salah remember who you are bro don’t be,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Allah seeing what you’re doing” —habiibisuyye.

“Did u ever see a jewish or a christian celebrating mawlid or eid al adha?no!cause its not from their religion!and xmas is not from our religion (Islam)” —adamdahabreh.
“ ﺕ ﺍﻟﻠﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻘﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻠﻲ ﻋﻤﺎﻟﻴﻦ ﻳﺤﻠﻠﻮﺍ ﺣﺎﺟﻪ ﺣﺮﻣﻬﺎ ﺭﺑﻨﺎ ﻭﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮﺍ ﻣﺎﻓﻴﻬﺎﺵ ﺣﺎﺟﻪ ﻛﺪﺍ ﺍﻧﺘﻮﺍ ﺑﺘﺎﺧﺪﻭﺍ ﺫﻧﺐ ﻛﺒﻴﺮ ﻭﻣﻌﺎﻩ ﺫﻧﺐ ﻛﻞ ﻭﺍﺣﺪ ﺍﺧﺪ ﺑﻜﻼﻣﻜﻢ ﻭﺍﺣﺘﻔﻞ . ﺃﻏﻠﺐ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎﺀ ﺣﺮﻣﻮﺍ ﺍﻻﺣﺘﻔﺎﻝ ﺑﺎﻷﻋﻴﺎﺩ ﺩﻱ ﺑﻐﺾ ﺍﻟﻨﻈﺮ ﻋﻦ ﺩﺍﺭ ﺍﻻﻓﺘﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﻪ ﻟﻮ ﺍﺧﺘﻠﻒ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎﺀ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺷﺊ ﺑﻨﺎﺧﺪ ﺑﺮﺃﻱ ﺍﻻﻏﻠﺒﻴﻪ . ﺍﺗﻘﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻤﺎﻟﻴﻦ ﺗﺸﻴﻠﻮﺍ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻭﺯﺍﺭ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﺣﺪ ﻣﻨﻨﺎ ﺑﻜﺮﻩ ﻳﻤﻮﺕ ﻭﻣﺎﺣﺪﺵ ﻫﻴﻨﻔﻌﻪ ﻭﺗﻌﻠﻴﻘﻪ ﻗﺎﻋﺪ ﻳﺠﻴﺒﻠﻪ ﺫﻧﻮﺏ ﻭﻫﻮ ﻓﻲ ﻗﺒﺮﻩ ﻭﻫﻴﺸﻬﺪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﺎﻣﻪ” (Google translate: This is in the comments that workers analyze a need that our Lord has forbidden, and they say there is no need, so you take a great sin, and with it the guilt of everyone who took your word and celebrated. Most scholars forbid the celebration of these feasts, regardless of the Egyptian fatwa, if the scholars disagreed about something that we would take in the opinion of the majority. Fear God, workers, who are cursed in the burden of one of us, his hatred will die, and no one will benefit him, and he is suspended) —dody_salma_draws.

“ ﺍﻧﺖ ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ﻟﻴﻪ ﻛﺪﻩ ﺷﺠﺮﺓ ﺍﻳﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﻰ ﻭﺭﺍﻛﻢ ﺍﻧﺎ ﻋﺎﻳﺸﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻟﻨﺪﻥ ﻣﻦ 29 ﺳﻨﺔ ﻭﻋﻤﺮﻱ ﻣﺎ ﺍﺣﺘﻔﻠﺖ ﺑﺎﻟﻜﺮﻳﺴﻤﺎﺳﻮﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺯﻋﻠﺖ ﻣﻨﻚ ﺍﻭﻱ ﻳﺎﻗﺪﻭﻩ ” (Google Translate: You are a Muslim, why is this a tree? What you saw? I have been living in London for 29 years) —khaidgayoussef.
“Christmas is not halal (permissible)” —Tyrinnj
“Quran 2:120: And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, ‘Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.’ If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper.” —iamabdullahijr99

“This is a sign that shows you are celebrating Christmas and it is not allowed for us Muslims. may Allah guide you to the right path you are trying to make happy your non Muslim friends and show some respect but You should think about what Allah have said in his holy book: ‘And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion.’ Say, ‘Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.’ If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper. Be proud of WHO you are and WHAT you believe.” (2:120) —my_success_is_only_by_allah11
“Why do you have a Christmas tree” —mustakim.10
Other followers have different view of the whole issue.

For instance, a follower cautions that Salah might really not have owned the tree: “Stop judging any1 so fast u all! U guys dont even know how to react firstly and come here and criticize him maybe its not his home or he must be somewhere with his family and just a random click with his family near that xmas must be looking nice so he posted.

written or wishing Christmas to any1 No!!! Without wishing also he tried to respect them so dont u guys think dats beautiful stop judging some1 so fast plzz…” —khizirahmad.

Writing in Indonesian, mouhsein.el_anwar celebrates the footballer: “Sebuah tindakan yg brilian, ditengah negara yg Islamnya minoritas. Anda hanya berfoto, Tampa mengeluarkan caption/tulisan ucapan natal.

Pemikiran yg bijaksana Mo. This is Muslim, yg menghargai umat non muslim. Tapi juga atau bagaimana caranya menghargai, agar tidak salah Dimata Islam. You’r the best Mo” (Google translate: A brilliant action, in the middle of a country where Islam is a minority. You just take a picture, Tampa issued a caption / Christmas greeting. Wise thinking Mo. This is Muslim, who respects non-Muslims. But also or how to respect, so it is not wrong in the eyes of Islam. “You’r the best Mo”)

Another described the reactions as “ignorance:” “The amount of ignorance in this page is tremendously high. Everyone ready to judge Mo just because he’s the first arabic who’s trying to create a connection between 2 different world and cultures. You should try to appreciate his effort, instead the only thing you can do is insulting your christians brothers on their happiest day. Shame on you! Do you wanna be a good Muslim? Stop judging, offending and try to be kind with all people in this world. other cultures and people will stop saying bad words about Islam. You all are the worst part of Islam, not Mo” —nader_malak

icecream6000 comes to his rescue: “Some of these comments are crazy! So he’s not allowed to take a picture in front of a tree. Some one your guys and girls really need to look in the mirror and stop worrying about him and his family. Allah will be judge and not you! Do you know your committing more of a sin by judging him? Think about it!”
Jerzykutyla1212 summarised the thoughts of those who didn’t see anything wrong in the action: “For all you who are so upset with King Mo, Salah did more for Islam in last few years than you will do in your lifetime. He is a good Muslim, good husband, good father and a genuine wonderful person. If we all try to be more like him, this world would be a better place.”