The hashtag #Except_the_Messenger_of_Allah_Modi topped the trends among Twitter users in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and several other Arab countries, following a tweet considered offensive to the Prophet Muhammad, published by the official spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party in India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Indian politician wrote in a tweet on his official Twitter account, questioning why the Prophet Muhammad married Lady Aisha when she was not yet ten years old, which sparked widespread anger among social media users in the Arab world and condemnation from those who considered the official's statement as crossing red lines.

Anger on social media

This tweet sparked widespread anger, as many saw it as a clear attack on the Prophet Muhammad, and thousands began sharing the hashtag "Except the Messenger of Allah, Modi," through which they expressed their anger that also targeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The page "The Global Commission to Support the Prophet of Islam" posted a tweet on its Twitter account, saying, "The spokesperson of the ruling party in India, Bharatiya Janata, insults the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him... Is there anyone to restrain him?" and called on Muslims to "tweet using the hashtag Except the Messenger of Allah, Modi."

Meanwhile, the Palestinian writer and preacher, Jihad Halas, said in his tweet, "By Allah, if two billion Muslims were angry at their Messenger ﷺ with the anger of one man, no one would dare to offend the Messenger of Allah or the religion of Allah, but it is humiliation and disgrace."

Dr. Muhammad Al-Saghir, Secretary-General of the Global Commission to Support the Prophet of Islam, said that "the statements of the official spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party in #India, who insulted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and attacked his wife Aisha in a systematic series of abuses against Islam and the oppression of Muslims, emboldened them to repeat previous crimes without reproach..."

Calls for boycott

The anger across social media following the Indian official’s tweet extended to calls for a boycott of Indian goods.

Journalist Turki Al-Shalhoub said in his tweet on Twitter, "After the insult to our Prophet and our mother Aisha... boycotting India has become an obligation on every Muslim."

Others posted pictures of what they claimed were Indian products and called for their boycott.

Others expressed their readiness to boycott India just as they "boycotted France."