Muslim preacher Amr Khaled has been all over social media in the past few days.
The well-known preacher, who has over twenty-eight million followers on Facebook, attended this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and decided to share a live coverage of his trip on the platform.
During the coverage, Khaled shared videos of himself crying and praying for the men and women who follow him.
In one video, he said: "I pray for every single person who leaves a dua (prayer) in the comment section under this video. By tomorrow morning, I promise you all that our prayers will be answered."
Soon after he shared the videos last week, they went viral, sparking controversy, with many claiming that the preacher was using religion to get more followers and 'likes'.
Some relentlessly trolled Khaled, while others defended him.
Here's how the entire incident went down:
It all started when Khaled shared this video from the holy site in Mecca
Not everyone seemed to approve
Some harsh responses were in order
"This idiot of a preacher shows us how to transform the core idea behind prayer to silly, abhorrent banter."
And hilarious memes
"Are you guys filming?"
"When you dream about hitting 10M followers"
When you're nominated for an Oscar
The meme game was on
Trolling taken to new levels
"Don't come after the men and women who follow me on Facebook, shaitan."
Not everyone attacked Khaled though
"The people who are making fun of Amr Khaled haven't heard of his Youtube show 'A Smile of Hope.' His words have transformed the lives of so many people and allowed them to turn their failures into successes. Have you ever tried giving anyone hope?"
Many defended him
"Amr Khaled is a respectable man and a peace loving human being who has love for everyone. He's worked so hard, preaching and calling for religious reform. If you don't like the way he preaches, it's your problem."
Khaled has since responded
Amid the online backlash, Khaled shared a lengthy video response on his official Facebook page late on Monday.
In it, the preacher said that the now viral videos were only excerpts from his coverage, denying that he had sent out prayers that were solely meant for his followers.
He also explained that it was his right to use social media to spread his message.
"I didn't force you to follow my page, nor to watch my coverage... It's my right to spread my message through this platform," Khaled explained.
"I see my followers as extended family and I truly love them. I spend as much time on social media as I do with my own children and therefore see it as a duty for me to share heartfelt prayers with anyone who follows me here," he added.
Khaled also explained that he wasn't looking for fame and reminded people that he already has millions of followers on Facebook.