Is Marine Le Pen a descendant of Prophet Mohammed?

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has previously gone on trial in France for accusations that she incited hatred against Muslims. 

So, when the Associated French Press (AFP) circulated an article this week titled: "Marine Le Pen descend de Mahomet" or "Marine Le Pen descends from Mohammed," many were more than a little shocked ... and bemused.

But less than an hour after the article was released, it was retracted. When asked about the bizarre news story, AFP said the "dispatch was in the draft stage and was published by mistake," according to Huff Post Maroc.

The article cited French genealogist Jean-Louis Beaucarnot who said Le Pen's ancestry could be traced to the former King of France Louis VI through a certain ancestor on her mother's side. From King Louis VI, Le Pen's ancestry goes back to the ancient kings of Spain that were related to the Ummayads of Andalusia. The Ummayads came from the Califs of Damascus, who were descended from Prophet Mohammed, according to Beaucarnot.

When AFP was asked if Beaucarnot's information was correct, it declined to answer, saying: "this was not the question."

For his part, Beaucarnot claims his analysis is accurate, but should be put in perspective. 

"I confirm everything I say in the dispatch, but you have to put it in perspective, because as others would say, we can all be descended from Charlemagne," he told Le Parisien.

Whether or not Le Pen is actually a very distant descendant of Prophet Mohammed, many on social media were more than happy to make jokes about the news. 

"When Marine informed her dad that she was descended from Mohammed from her mother's side." 

"An elector of Le Pen when she learns that her candidate is descended from Mohammed." 

"Latest news, a genealogist reveals that Le Pen would be a descendant of Mohammed by her mother! The head of the National Front." 

The final round of voting in the French presidential election will take place on May 7. In the first round, Emmanuel Macron came in first with 23.7 percent of the vote, followed by Le Pen with 21.7. 

Macron is favored to win the election by polls and analysts, but as Brexit and U.S. President Donald Trump's win revealed, anything is possible.