The NFL is once again found itself a talking point for the wrong reasons after a Kansas City Chiefs player was penalised for praying after he scored a touchdown in Monday night’s 41-14 win over the New England Patriots.

Chiefs’ safety Husain Abdullah was delighted to pick off a Tom Brady throw and return the interception for a touchdown. He immediately slides down onto his knees and, being of Muslim faith, prayed in celebration.

It’s not uncommon for players to do such a thing, with many Christian players raising their hands and looking to the sky to celebrate.

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However, the referee crew officiating the match threw a penalty flag on the play, and penalised Abdullah 15-yards due to “falling to the ground on the knees”. Needless to say, a giant can of worms had already been opened.

The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty immediately flooded social media sites, with many users on Twitter arguing the case against penalising Abdullah. There is a ruling in the NFL rulebook that says excessive celebration after a play can be penalised, although for the players it is regarded as a grey area with the terminology stating players are “prohibited from engaging in any celebrations while on the ground”.

It does not specifically mention and players who celebrate through prayer, although religious acts are tended to be treated with leniency by the NFL officials.

Arsalan Iftikhar, founder of TheMuslimGuy.com, pointed out that Brandon Marshall of the Chicago Bears had performed a similar celebration and received no penalty on the play, while Tim Tebow's famous 'Tebowing' pose had gone unpunished during his time in the NFL.

Shape Created with Sketch. NFL - The best pictures from the 2014 season Show all 130 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. NFL - The best pictures from the 2014 season 1/130 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22 Jermaine Kearse celebrates the overtime touchdown that sent the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Getty Images 2/130 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22 Aaron Rodgers Packers had lead 16-0 at half-time but the home side fought back. Getty Images 3/130 New England Patriots 45 Indianapolis 7 LeGarette Blount run for 148 yards and three touchdowns against the hapless Colts. Getty Images 4/130 New England Patriots 45 Indianapolis 7 Darrelle Revis returns an interception during the dominant win, one of two thrown by Andrew Luck. Getty Images 5/130 Seattle Seahawks 31 Carolina Panthers 17 Richard Sherman intercepts a pass from Panthers quarterback Cam Newton - one of two thrown Getty Images 6/130 New England Patriots 35 Baltimore Ravens 31 Patriots players surround wide receiver Julian Edelman after he threw a touchdown with his first ever pass attempt Getty Images 7/130 Green Bay Packers 26 Dallas Cowboys 21 Aaron Rodgers fought through an injured left calf to bring the Packers back against the Cowboys Getty Images 8/130 Denver Broncos 13 Indianapolis Colts 24 Peyton Manning was terrible against the Colts - is this the end of the road for one of the best ever? Getty Images 9/130 Dallas Cowboys 24 Detroit Lions 20 Terrance Williams caught two touchdowns as the Cowboys fought back from a 13-point deficit Getty Images 10/130 Indianapolis Colts 26 Cincinnati Bengals 10 Boom Herron runs for the Colts as the Benglas lost their fourth play-off game in a row Getty Images 11/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 17 Baltimore Ravens 30 Joe Flacco was superb as the Ravens surprised their bitter rivals with a dominant victory on the road Getty Images 12/130 Carolina Panthers 27 Arizona Cardinals 16 Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers took advantage of the injury-hit Cardinals to set up a meeting with Seattle Getty Images 13/130 Washington Redskins 17 Dallas Cowboys 44 DeMarco Murray set a single-season rushing record for the Dallas Cowboys, overtaking Emmitt Smith on his way to 1,845 yards Getty Images 14/130 Baltimore Ravens 20 Cleveland Browns 10 Torrey Smith had a big day as the Ravens secured their spot in the play-offs with a win Getty Images 15/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 27 Cincinnati Bengals 17 Antonio Brown scored two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers secured their place in the post-season Getty Images 16/130 Atlanta Falcons 3 Carolina Panthers 34 Tre Boston somersaults into the endzone as the Panthers secured a play-off spot with the win - Falcons coach Mike Smith has now been sacked Getty Images 17/130 Miami Dolphins 24 New York Jets 37 Popular head coach Rex Ryan led his Jets team to a win on his final game in charge - he was sacked after six years Getty Images 18/130 Arizona Cardinals 6 Seattle Seahawks 35 Marshawn Lynch breaks away for a brilliant 79-yard touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks dominated their divisional rivals Getty Images 19/130 Oakland Raiders 26 Buffalo Bills 24 Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes as the Raiders recorded just their third win of the season against Buffalo Getty Images 20/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 20 Kansas City Chiefs 12 Antonio Brown had a big day for the Steelers as they clinched a play-off berth Getty Images 21/130 Chicago Bears 14 Detroit Lions 20 Joique Bell scored a late touchdown as the Lions clinched just their second post-season spot in 15 years Getty Images 22/130 Carolina Panthers 17 Cleveland Browns 13 Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers kept their play-off hopes alive with a tight victory over the Browns Getty Images 23/130 San Diego Chargers 10 Denver Broncos 22 Peyton Manning overcame a thigh injury and illness to clinch the AFC West title for the Denver Broncos Getty Images 24/130 New England Patriots 41 Miami Dolphins 13 New England Patriots quarter-back Tom Brady guided his team to a sixth straight AFC East title Getty Images 25/130 Cleveland Browns 0 Cincinnati Bengals 30 Johnny Manziel finished with 10 of 18 for 80 yards and two interceptions while being sacked three times Getty Images 26/130 Philadelphia Eagles 27 Dallas Cowboys 38 Dallas Cowboys running-back DeMarco Murray scored two running touchdowns Getty Images 27/130 Denver Broncos 24 Buffalo Bills 17 CJ Anderson scores a rushing touchdown for the Broncos in the win over the Bills Getty Images 28/130 Philadelphia Eagles 14 Seattle Seahawks 24 Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to victory over the Eagles Getty Images 29/130 Cleveland Browns 24 Indianapolis Colts 25 Andrew Luck scored a rushing touchdown and led the Colts to a comeback 25-24 victory over the Browns Getty Images 30/130 Cincinnati Bengals 21 Pittsburgh Steelers 42 Martavos Bryant caught a 94-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to record the longest scoring play of the season Getty Images 31/130 Buffalo Bills 38 New York Jets 3 Anthony Dixon runs in a 30-yards touchdown for the Bills Getty Images 32/130 Buffalo Bills 38 New York Jets 3 Michael Vick is sacked by Kyle Williams Getty Images 33/130 Buffalo Bills 38 New York Jets 3 A fan is tackled by a security member during a pitch invasion in the third quarter Getty Images 34/130 Baltimore Ravens 34 New Orleans Saints 27 Marques Colston loses control of the ball as he is tackled by Will Hill Getty Images 35/130 Justin-Forsett.jpg Justin Forsett celebrates after running in a touchdown Getty Images 36/130 Denver Broncos 39 Miami Dolphins 36 Emmanuel Sanders is hit by Louis Delmas during the Broncos' narrow win over the Dolphins Getty Images 37/130 New England Patriots 34 Detroit Lions 9 Tom Brady roars with delight as he leads the New England Patriots to a resounding win over the Detroit Lions Getty Images 38/130 New York Giants 28 Dallas Cowboys 31 Dez Bryant caught two touchdown passes from Tony Romo during Dallas' win over the New York Giants Getty Images 39/130 Philadelphia Eagles 43 Tennessee Titans 24 Dexter McCluster runs during the Tennessee Totans heavy defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles Getty Images 40/130 Oakland Raiders 24 Kansas City Chiefs 20 Khali Mack tackles Chiefs quarter-back Alex Smith Getty Images 41/130 Oakland Raiders 24 Kansas City Chiefs 20 James Jones catches the match-winning touchdown pass Getty Images 42/130 Oakland Raiders 24 Kansas City Chiefs 20 Derek Carr calls the shots as he guided the Raiders to a first win of the season Getty Images 43/130 Kansas City Chiefs 24 Seattle Seahawks 20 Jamaal Charles ran in two touchdowns for the Chiefs as they stopped the defending Super Bowl champions Getty Images 44/130 St Louis Rams 22 Denver Broncos 7 Shaun Hill inspired the St Louis Rams to victory over the Denver Broncos Getty Images 45/130 New England Patriots 42 Indianapolis Colts 20 Rob Gronkowski scored the final touchdown in the victory over the Detroit Lions Getty Images 46/130 Tampa Bay Bucaneers 27 Washington Redskins 7 Mike Evans led the Tampa Bay Bucaneers to victory over the Washington Redskins Getty Images 47/130 Green Bay Packers 53 Philadelphia Eagles 20 Eddie Lacy attempts to charge over the Philadelphia Eagles defence Getty Images 48/130 Philadelphia Eagles 45 Carolina Panthers 21 Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry charges down Cam Newton Getty Images 49/130 Philadelphia Eagles 45 Carolina Panthers 21 Mark Sanchez picked up the win on his first start for the Eagles Getty Images 50/130 Philadelphia Eagles 45 Carolina Panthers 21 Darren Sproles returns a punt for a touchdown Getty Images 51/130 Green Bay Packers 55 Chicago Bears 17 Aaron Rodgers has words with the Bears defence - he tied a Green Bay record by throwing six touchdown passes Getty Images 52/130 Seattle Seahawks 38 New York Giants 17 Marshawn Lynched is tackled on a day he rushed for a season-high 140 yards and four touchdowns Getty Images 53/130 Arizona Cardinals 31 St Louis Rams 14 Patrick Peterson returns an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter - one of three the Cardinals scored in the final period to come from behind and win Getty Images 54/130 Oakland Raiders 17 Denver Broncos 41 Peyton Manning threw five touchdowns in less than 17 minutes to send the Raiders to their 15th straight defeat Getty Images 55/130 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 Atlanta Falcons 27 Julio Jones caught eight passes for 119 yards as the Falcons beat their NFC South rivals Getty Images 56/130 New York Jets 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 13 Michael Vick threw two touchdowns for the Jets Getty Images 57/130 New Orleans Saints 24 San Francisco 49ers 27 Colin Kaepernick's 51-yard pass on fourth down sent the 49ers to overtime, where Phil Dawson kicked the winning field goal Getty Images 58/130 Jacksonville Jaguars 17 Dallas Cowboys 31 Dez Bryant made six catches for 158 yards, scoring two touchdowns at Wembley Getty Images 59/130 Detroit Lions 20 Miami Dophins 16 Theo Riddick catches a late touchdown pass from Matt Stafford as Detroit won another thriller Getty Images 60/130 Buffalo Bills 13 Kansas City Chiefs 17 Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith runs in what proved to be the decisive touchdown Getty Images 61/130 Baltimore Ravens 21 Tennessee Titans 7 Justin Forsett ran for 112 yards and scored two touchdowns in a dominant Ravens win Gwtty Images 62/130 Cincinnati Bengals 3 Cleveland Browns 24 Browns quarter-back Brian Hoyer celebrates a touchdown Getty Images 63/130 Cincinnati Browns 24 Cleveland Browns 3 Adam Jones #24 of the Cincinnati Bengals tackles Ben Tate #44 of the Cleveland Browns Getty Images 64/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Baltimore Ravens 23 Ben Roethlisberger added six more touchdowns to his tally against his divisional rivals Getty Images 65/130 Cincinnati Bengals 33 Jacksonville Jaguars 23 Jeremy Hill ran for a career-high 154 yards in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Getty Images 66/130 Arizona Cardinals 24 Philadelphia Eagles 20 Arizona Cardinals celebrate John Brown's match-winning 75-yard touchdown Getty Images 67/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 51 Indianapolis Colts 34 Ben Roethlisberger threw for 522-yards, the joint-fourth most in a single match in NFL history Getty Images 68/130 New York Jets 23 Buffalo Bills 43 Kyle Orton laid on four touchdown passes for the Buffalo Bills in their victory over the New York Jets Getty Images 69/130 Atlanta Falcons 21 Detroit Lions 22 Matt Prater kicks the game-winning field goal as time expired at Wembley Getty Images 70/130 Denver Broncos 35 San Diego Chargers 21 Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders catches the first of three touchdown passes as Denver beat their AFC West Rivals San Diego Getty Images 71/130 Denver Broncos 35 San Diego Chargers 21 Sanders leaps between two defenders to haul in another score at Mile High Stadium Getty Images 72/130 Denver Broncos 35 San Diego Chargers 21 Peyton Manning waves to the crowd after the win, a game in which he extended his record as the NFL's record touchdown passer Getty Images 73/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Le'Veon Bell catches a two-yard pass for a touchdown Getty Images 74/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Ben Roethlisberger seeks out a wide receiver during the win over the Houston Texans Getty Images 75/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Antonio Brown looks to run free under the attentions of the Texans defence Getty Images 76/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Martavis Bryant celebrates after scoring a touchdown for the Steelers Getty Images 77/130 Denver Broncos 42 San Francisco 49ers 17 Peytonm Manning walks off the field following the Denver Broncos victory over the San Francisco 49ers Getty Images 78/130 Dallas Cowboys 31 New York Giants 21 Dallas Cowboys running-back DeMarco Murray broke Jim Brown's 56-year-old NFL record with his seventh straight 100-yard rushing game Getty Images 79/130 San Diego Chargers 20 Kansas City Chiefs 23 Cairo Santos kicks the match-winning field-goal in the Kansas City Chief's victory over the San Diego Chargers Getty Images 80/130 Oakland Raiders 13 Arizona Cardinals 24 Carson Palmer threw two touchdowns on his return to Oakland as the Raiders fell to their 12th straight defeat Getty Images 81/130 Washington Redskins 19 Tennessee Titans 17 Colt McCoy came off the bench for the second half to lead Washington to a win over the Titans Getty Images 82/130 St Louis Rams 28 Seattle Seahawks 26 Chris Givens of the St. Louis Rams makes a catch against Marcus Burley of the Seattle Seahawks Getty Images 83/130 Jacksonville Jaguars 24 Cleveland Browns 6 Allen Robinson weaves his way to the game's first touchdown - the Jaguars dominated on their way to a first win of the season Getty Images 84/130 Indianapolis Colts 27 Cincinnati Bengals 0 Ahmed Bradshaw celebrates during the Colts win over the Bengals - the first time they have gone scoreless since December 2009 Getty Images 85/130 Green Bay Packers 38 Carolina Panthers 17 Wide receiver Randall Cobb celebrates with Packers fans during the win at Lambeau Field Getty Images 86/130 Detroit Lions 24 New Orleans Saints 23 The Lions came back from 13 points down with less than four minutes to play to shock the Saints Getty Images 87/130 Chicago Bears 14 Miami Dolphins 27 Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill threw for almost 300 yards , completing 25 of 32 passes in an excellent win over the Bears Getty Images 88/130 Buffalo Bills 17 Minnesota Vikings 16 Bills players celebrate with Sammy Watkins after he caught a game-winning touchdown with just a second left Getty Images 89/130 Baltimore Ravens 29 Atlanta Falcons 7 Ravens linebacker Elivs Dumervil sacks Matt Ryan during a dominant performance for the home side Getty Images 90/130 New England Patriots 27 New York Jets 25 Jets kicker Nick Folk has his last-second field goal, that would have won the game, blocked Getty Images 91/130 Philadelphia Eagles 27 New York Giants 0 LeSean McCoy enjoyed a season-high 149 rushing yards during the Eagles' shutout of the Giants Getty Images 92/130 Dallas Cowboys 30 Seattle Seahawks 23 Tony Romo inspired the Cowboys to a shock victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions Seattle Getty Images 93/130 Chicago Bears 27 Atlanta Falcons 13 Jay Cutler, embracing Matt Ryan, threw for almost 400 yards in a dominant display by the Bears in Georgia Getty Images 94/130 Washington Redskins 20 Arizona Cardinals 30 Carson Palmer returned after five games out to lead the Cardinals to another victory Getty Images 95/130 San Diego Chargers 31 Oakland Raiders 28 Branden Oliver scored a late touchdown to sent Oakland, who had been leading by seven in the fourth quarter, to their 11th straight defeat Getty Images 96/130 Jacksonville Jaguars 14 Tennessee Titans 16 The Titans blocked what would have been a game-winning field goal in the dying seconds to keep the Jags winless Getty Images 97/130 Baltimore Ravens 31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 Joe Flacco became the fastest man to score five touchdowns in a game - he had four in the first quarter and one just after Getty Images 98/130 Denver Broncos 31 New York Jets 17 Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes in the victory over the Jets to move two short of Brett Favre's career touchdown record Getty Images 99/130 Detroit Lions 17 Minnesota Vikings 3 Joquie Bell runs in for a short score but it was Detroit's defence that dominated this game Getty Images 100/130 Green Bay Packers 27 Miami Dolphins 24 Aaron Rodgers' fake spike allowed Green Bay to score a game-winning touchdown in the dying seconds Getty Images 101/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 10 Cleveland Browns 31 Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer was superb as Cleveland surprisingly beat their AFC North rivals Getty Images 102/130 Carolina Panthers 37 Cincinnati Bengals 37 Mike Nugent missed a last-second field goal that would have won the game for the Bengals as they played out a thrilling match in the first draw of the season Getty Images 103/130 New England Patriots 37 Buffalo Bills 22 Tom Brady celebrates with Brandon LaFell after finding his wide receiver for a touchdown Getty Images 104/130 Indianapolis Colts 33 Houston Texans 28 Andrew Luck and Sergio Brown celebrate the Indianapolis Colts' victory over AFC South rivals the Houston Texans Getty Images 105/130 San Diego Chargers 31 New York Jets 0 Philip Rivers inspired the San Diego Chargers to a 31-0 shutout of the New York Jets Getty Images 106/130 Cleveland Browns 29 Tennessee Titans 28 Travis Benjamin caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer to complete the Cleveland Browns' comeback against the Tennessee Titans Getty Images 107/130 Dallas Cowboys 20 Houston Texans 17 Dan Bailey kicks the game-winning for the Dallas Cowboys in their overtime win against the Houston Texans Getty Images 108/130 New York Giants 30 Atlanta Falcons 20 Odell Beckham Jr celebrates scoring the match-winning touchdown on his debut for the New York Giants Getty Images 109/130 Green Bay Packers 42 Minnesota Vikings 10 Eddie Lacy rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers routed their NFC North rivals Getty Images 110/130 Green Bay Packers 42 Minnesota Vikings 10 Defensive end Julius Peppers intercepted a pass and ran it 56 yards for a touchdown Getty Images 111/130 Kansas City Chiefs 41 New England Patriots 14 Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith begins a play threw for three touchdowns Getty Images 112/130 Kansas City Chiefs 41 New England Patriots 14 On his return from injury running back Jamaal Charles scored one rushing and two catchind touchdowns Getty Images 113/130 Dallas Cowboys 38 New Orleans 17 Tony Romo looked close to his best as the Cowboys dominated the Saints in Texas Getty Images 114/130 San Francisco 49ers 26 Philadelphia Eagles 21 Frank Gore had more than 100 yards rushing and also a 55-yard touchdown catch as the 49ers narrowly beat the Eagles Getty Images 115/130 Minnesota Vikings 41 Atlanta Falcons 28 Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 300 yards on his first NFL start; though he did hurt his ankle late on Getty Images 116/130 San Diego Chargers 33 Jacksonville Jaguars 14 Philip Rivers threw just shy of 400 yards and three touchdowns against the Jags Getty Images 117/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 Vincent Jackson scored a last-second touchdown for the Bucs to win their first game of the season Getty Images 118/130 Oakland Raiders 14 Miami Dolphins 38 Cortland Finnegan celebrates after recovering a fumble in the Dolphins' rout of the Raiders at Wembley Getty Images 119/130 New York Jets 17 Detroit Lions 24 Matthew Stafford celebrates a rushing touchdown - he threw two more - as the Lions won despite injury to Calvin Johnson Getty Images 120/130 Indianapolis Colts 41 Tennessee Titans 17 Andrew Luck had another huge day for the Colts with 393 yards and four touchdowns 121/130 Houston Texans 23 Buffalo Bills 17 Defensive end JJ Watt on his way to a touchdown after intercepting EJ Manuel's pass 122/130 Chicago Bears 17 Green Bay Packers 38 Aaron Rodgers threw more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in a massive win at Soldier Field Getty Images 123/130 Baltimore Ravens 38 Carolina Panthers 10 Steve Smith had a huge day against his former team, with two touchdowns and 139 yards Getty Images 124/130 Washington Redskins 14 New York Giants 45 Eli Manning celebrates a rushing touchdown - he threw for three more in the massive win Getty Images 125/130 Chicago Bears 27 New York Jets 19 Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery of the Chicago Bears is tackled by free safety Antonio Allen of the New York Jets Getty Images 126/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 37 Carolina Panthers 19 Leveon Bell ran more than 100 yards for the Steelers who fought back to beat Carolina Getty Images 127/130 Kansas City Chiefs 34 Miami Dolphins 15 Alex Smith threw three touchdowns as the Chiefs beat the lacklustre Dolphins, who play in London in Week Four Getty Images 128/130 Baltimore Ravens 23 Cleveland Browns 21 Justin Tucker kicked a field goal in the dying seconds for the Ravens to steal a win over their rivals Getty Images 129/130 Houston Texans 17 New York Giants 30 Rashad Jennings rushed for a career-high 176 yards in an excellent performance by the Giants Getty Images 130/130 Minnesota Vikings 9 New Orleans Saints 20 Drew Brees threw just shy of 300 yards in a routine win for the Saints Getty Images 1/130 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22 Jermaine Kearse celebrates the overtime touchdown that sent the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Getty Images 2/130 Seattle Seahawks 28 Green Bay Packers 22 Aaron Rodgers Packers had lead 16-0 at half-time but the home side fought back. Getty Images 3/130 New England Patriots 45 Indianapolis 7 LeGarette Blount run for 148 yards and three touchdowns against the hapless Colts. Getty Images 4/130 New England Patriots 45 Indianapolis 7 Darrelle Revis returns an interception during the dominant win, one of two thrown by Andrew Luck. Getty Images 5/130 Seattle Seahawks 31 Carolina Panthers 17 Richard Sherman intercepts a pass from Panthers quarterback Cam Newton - one of two thrown Getty Images 6/130 New England Patriots 35 Baltimore Ravens 31 Patriots players surround wide receiver Julian Edelman after he threw a touchdown with his first ever pass attempt Getty Images 7/130 Green Bay Packers 26 Dallas Cowboys 21 Aaron Rodgers fought through an injured left calf to bring the Packers back against the Cowboys Getty Images 8/130 Denver Broncos 13 Indianapolis Colts 24 Peyton Manning was terrible against the Colts - is this the end of the road for one of the best ever? Getty Images 9/130 Dallas Cowboys 24 Detroit Lions 20 Terrance Williams caught two touchdowns as the Cowboys fought back from a 13-point deficit Getty Images 10/130 Indianapolis Colts 26 Cincinnati Bengals 10 Boom Herron runs for the Colts as the Benglas lost their fourth play-off game in a row Getty Images 11/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 17 Baltimore Ravens 30 Joe Flacco was superb as the Ravens surprised their bitter rivals with a dominant victory on the road Getty Images 12/130 Carolina Panthers 27 Arizona Cardinals 16 Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers took advantage of the injury-hit Cardinals to set up a meeting with Seattle Getty Images 13/130 Washington Redskins 17 Dallas Cowboys 44 DeMarco Murray set a single-season rushing record for the Dallas Cowboys, overtaking Emmitt Smith on his way to 1,845 yards Getty Images 14/130 Baltimore Ravens 20 Cleveland Browns 10 Torrey Smith had a big day as the Ravens secured their spot in the play-offs with a win Getty Images 15/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 27 Cincinnati Bengals 17 Antonio Brown scored two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers secured their place in the post-season Getty Images 16/130 Atlanta Falcons 3 Carolina Panthers 34 Tre Boston somersaults into the endzone as the Panthers secured a play-off spot with the win - Falcons coach Mike Smith has now been sacked Getty Images 17/130 Miami Dolphins 24 New York Jets 37 Popular head coach Rex Ryan led his Jets team to a win on his final game in charge - he was sacked after six years Getty Images 18/130 Arizona Cardinals 6 Seattle Seahawks 35 Marshawn Lynch breaks away for a brilliant 79-yard touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks dominated their divisional rivals Getty Images 19/130 Oakland Raiders 26 Buffalo Bills 24 Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes as the Raiders recorded just their third win of the season against Buffalo Getty Images 20/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 20 Kansas City Chiefs 12 Antonio Brown had a big day for the Steelers as they clinched a play-off berth Getty Images 21/130 Chicago Bears 14 Detroit Lions 20 Joique Bell scored a late touchdown as the Lions clinched just their second post-season spot in 15 years Getty Images 22/130 Carolina Panthers 17 Cleveland Browns 13 Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers kept their play-off hopes alive with a tight victory over the Browns Getty Images 23/130 San Diego Chargers 10 Denver Broncos 22 Peyton Manning overcame a thigh injury and illness to clinch the AFC West title for the Denver Broncos Getty Images 24/130 New England Patriots 41 Miami Dolphins 13 New England Patriots quarter-back Tom Brady guided his team to a sixth straight AFC East title Getty Images 25/130 Cleveland Browns 0 Cincinnati Bengals 30 Johnny Manziel finished with 10 of 18 for 80 yards and two interceptions while being sacked three times Getty Images 26/130 Philadelphia Eagles 27 Dallas Cowboys 38 Dallas Cowboys running-back DeMarco Murray scored two running touchdowns Getty Images 27/130 Denver Broncos 24 Buffalo Bills 17 CJ Anderson scores a rushing touchdown for the Broncos in the win over the Bills Getty Images 28/130 Philadelphia Eagles 14 Seattle Seahawks 24 Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to victory over the Eagles Getty Images 29/130 Cleveland Browns 24 Indianapolis Colts 25 Andrew Luck scored a rushing touchdown and led the Colts to a comeback 25-24 victory over the Browns Getty Images 30/130 Cincinnati Bengals 21 Pittsburgh Steelers 42 Martavos Bryant caught a 94-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to record the longest scoring play of the season Getty Images 31/130 Buffalo Bills 38 New York Jets 3 Anthony Dixon runs in a 30-yards touchdown for the Bills Getty Images 32/130 Buffalo Bills 38 New York Jets 3 Michael Vick is sacked by Kyle Williams Getty Images 33/130 Buffalo Bills 38 New York Jets 3 A fan is tackled by a security member during a pitch invasion in the third quarter Getty Images 34/130 Baltimore Ravens 34 New Orleans Saints 27 Marques Colston loses control of the ball as he is tackled by Will Hill Getty Images 35/130 Justin-Forsett.jpg Justin Forsett celebrates after running in a touchdown Getty Images 36/130 Denver Broncos 39 Miami Dolphins 36 Emmanuel Sanders is hit by Louis Delmas during the Broncos' narrow win over the Dolphins Getty Images 37/130 New England Patriots 34 Detroit Lions 9 Tom Brady roars with delight as he leads the New England Patriots to a resounding win over the Detroit Lions Getty Images 38/130 New York Giants 28 Dallas Cowboys 31 Dez Bryant caught two touchdown passes from Tony Romo during Dallas' win over the New York Giants Getty Images 39/130 Philadelphia Eagles 43 Tennessee Titans 24 Dexter McCluster runs during the Tennessee Totans heavy defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles Getty Images 40/130 Oakland Raiders 24 Kansas City Chiefs 20 Khali Mack tackles Chiefs quarter-back Alex Smith Getty Images 41/130 Oakland Raiders 24 Kansas City Chiefs 20 James Jones catches the match-winning touchdown pass Getty Images 42/130 Oakland Raiders 24 Kansas City Chiefs 20 Derek Carr calls the shots as he guided the Raiders to a first win of the season Getty Images 43/130 Kansas City Chiefs 24 Seattle Seahawks 20 Jamaal Charles ran in two touchdowns for the Chiefs as they stopped the defending Super Bowl champions Getty Images 44/130 St Louis Rams 22 Denver Broncos 7 Shaun Hill inspired the St Louis Rams to victory over the Denver Broncos Getty Images 45/130 New England Patriots 42 Indianapolis Colts 20 Rob Gronkowski scored the final touchdown in the victory over the Detroit Lions Getty Images 46/130 Tampa Bay Bucaneers 27 Washington Redskins 7 Mike Evans led the Tampa Bay Bucaneers to victory over the Washington Redskins Getty Images 47/130 Green Bay Packers 53 Philadelphia Eagles 20 Eddie Lacy attempts to charge over the Philadelphia Eagles defence Getty Images 48/130 Philadelphia Eagles 45 Carolina Panthers 21 Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Vinny Curry charges down Cam Newton Getty Images 49/130 Philadelphia Eagles 45 Carolina Panthers 21 Mark Sanchez picked up the win on his first start for the Eagles Getty Images 50/130 Philadelphia Eagles 45 Carolina Panthers 21 Darren Sproles returns a punt for a touchdown Getty Images 51/130 Green Bay Packers 55 Chicago Bears 17 Aaron Rodgers has words with the Bears defence - he tied a Green Bay record by throwing six touchdown passes Getty Images 52/130 Seattle Seahawks 38 New York Giants 17 Marshawn Lynched is tackled on a day he rushed for a season-high 140 yards and four touchdowns Getty Images 53/130 Arizona Cardinals 31 St Louis Rams 14 Patrick Peterson returns an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter - one of three the Cardinals scored in the final period to come from behind and win Getty Images 54/130 Oakland Raiders 17 Denver Broncos 41 Peyton Manning threw five touchdowns in less than 17 minutes to send the Raiders to their 15th straight defeat Getty Images 55/130 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 Atlanta Falcons 27 Julio Jones caught eight passes for 119 yards as the Falcons beat their NFC South rivals Getty Images 56/130 New York Jets 20 Pittsburgh Steelers 13 Michael Vick threw two touchdowns for the Jets Getty Images 57/130 New Orleans Saints 24 San Francisco 49ers 27 Colin Kaepernick's 51-yard pass on fourth down sent the 49ers to overtime, where Phil Dawson kicked the winning field goal Getty Images 58/130 Jacksonville Jaguars 17 Dallas Cowboys 31 Dez Bryant made six catches for 158 yards, scoring two touchdowns at Wembley Getty Images 59/130 Detroit Lions 20 Miami Dophins 16 Theo Riddick catches a late touchdown pass from Matt Stafford as Detroit won another thriller Getty Images 60/130 Buffalo Bills 13 Kansas City Chiefs 17 Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith runs in what proved to be the decisive touchdown Getty Images 61/130 Baltimore Ravens 21 Tennessee Titans 7 Justin Forsett ran for 112 yards and scored two touchdowns in a dominant Ravens win Gwtty Images 62/130 Cincinnati Bengals 3 Cleveland Browns 24 Browns quarter-back Brian Hoyer celebrates a touchdown Getty Images 63/130 Cincinnati Browns 24 Cleveland Browns 3 Adam Jones #24 of the Cincinnati Bengals tackles Ben Tate #44 of the Cleveland Browns Getty Images 64/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Baltimore Ravens 23 Ben Roethlisberger added six more touchdowns to his tally against his divisional rivals Getty Images 65/130 Cincinnati Bengals 33 Jacksonville Jaguars 23 Jeremy Hill ran for a career-high 154 yards in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Getty Images 66/130 Arizona Cardinals 24 Philadelphia Eagles 20 Arizona Cardinals celebrate John Brown's match-winning 75-yard touchdown Getty Images 67/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 51 Indianapolis Colts 34 Ben Roethlisberger threw for 522-yards, the joint-fourth most in a single match in NFL history Getty Images 68/130 New York Jets 23 Buffalo Bills 43 Kyle Orton laid on four touchdown passes for the Buffalo Bills in their victory over the New York Jets Getty Images 69/130 Atlanta Falcons 21 Detroit Lions 22 Matt Prater kicks the game-winning field goal as time expired at Wembley Getty Images 70/130 Denver Broncos 35 San Diego Chargers 21 Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders catches the first of three touchdown passes as Denver beat their AFC West Rivals San Diego Getty Images 71/130 Denver Broncos 35 San Diego Chargers 21 Sanders leaps between two defenders to haul in another score at Mile High Stadium Getty Images 72/130 Denver Broncos 35 San Diego Chargers 21 Peyton Manning waves to the crowd after the win, a game in which he extended his record as the NFL's record touchdown passer Getty Images 73/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Le'Veon Bell catches a two-yard pass for a touchdown Getty Images 74/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Ben Roethlisberger seeks out a wide receiver during the win over the Houston Texans Getty Images 75/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Antonio Brown looks to run free under the attentions of the Texans defence Getty Images 76/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Houston Texans 23 Martavis Bryant celebrates after scoring a touchdown for the Steelers Getty Images 77/130 Denver Broncos 42 San Francisco 49ers 17 Peytonm Manning walks off the field following the Denver Broncos victory over the San Francisco 49ers Getty Images 78/130 Dallas Cowboys 31 New York Giants 21 Dallas Cowboys running-back DeMarco Murray broke Jim Brown's 56-year-old NFL record with his seventh straight 100-yard rushing game Getty Images 79/130 San Diego Chargers 20 Kansas City Chiefs 23 Cairo Santos kicks the match-winning field-goal in the Kansas City Chief's victory over the San Diego Chargers Getty Images 80/130 Oakland Raiders 13 Arizona Cardinals 24 Carson Palmer threw two touchdowns on his return to Oakland as the Raiders fell to their 12th straight defeat Getty Images 81/130 Washington Redskins 19 Tennessee Titans 17 Colt McCoy came off the bench for the second half to lead Washington to a win over the Titans Getty Images 82/130 St Louis Rams 28 Seattle Seahawks 26 Chris Givens of the St. Louis Rams makes a catch against Marcus Burley of the Seattle Seahawks Getty Images 83/130 Jacksonville Jaguars 24 Cleveland Browns 6 Allen Robinson weaves his way to the game's first touchdown - the Jaguars dominated on their way to a first win of the season Getty Images 84/130 Indianapolis Colts 27 Cincinnati Bengals 0 Ahmed Bradshaw celebrates during the Colts win over the Bengals - the first time they have gone scoreless since December 2009 Getty Images 85/130 Green Bay Packers 38 Carolina Panthers 17 Wide receiver Randall Cobb celebrates with Packers fans during the win at Lambeau Field Getty Images 86/130 Detroit Lions 24 New Orleans Saints 23 The Lions came back from 13 points down with less than four minutes to play to shock the Saints Getty Images 87/130 Chicago Bears 14 Miami Dolphins 27 Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill threw for almost 300 yards , completing 25 of 32 passes in an excellent win over the Bears Getty Images 88/130 Buffalo Bills 17 Minnesota Vikings 16 Bills players celebrate with Sammy Watkins after he caught a game-winning touchdown with just a second left Getty Images 89/130 Baltimore Ravens 29 Atlanta Falcons 7 Ravens linebacker Elivs Dumervil sacks Matt Ryan during a dominant performance for the home side Getty Images 90/130 New England Patriots 27 New York Jets 25 Jets kicker Nick Folk has his last-second field goal, that would have won the game, blocked Getty Images 91/130 Philadelphia Eagles 27 New York Giants 0 LeSean McCoy enjoyed a season-high 149 rushing yards during the Eagles' shutout of the Giants Getty Images 92/130 Dallas Cowboys 30 Seattle Seahawks 23 Tony Romo inspired the Cowboys to a shock victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions Seattle Getty Images 93/130 Chicago Bears 27 Atlanta Falcons 13 Jay Cutler, embracing Matt Ryan, threw for almost 400 yards in a dominant display by the Bears in Georgia Getty Images 94/130 Washington Redskins 20 Arizona Cardinals 30 Carson Palmer returned after five games out to lead the Cardinals to another victory Getty Images 95/130 San Diego Chargers 31 Oakland Raiders 28 Branden Oliver scored a late touchdown to sent Oakland, who had been leading by seven in the fourth quarter, to their 11th straight defeat Getty Images 96/130 Jacksonville Jaguars 14 Tennessee Titans 16 The Titans blocked what would have been a game-winning field goal in the dying seconds to keep the Jags winless Getty Images 97/130 Baltimore Ravens 31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 Joe Flacco became the fastest man to score five touchdowns in a game - he had four in the first quarter and one just after Getty Images 98/130 Denver Broncos 31 New York Jets 17 Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes in the victory over the Jets to move two short of Brett Favre's career touchdown record Getty Images 99/130 Detroit Lions 17 Minnesota Vikings 3 Joquie Bell runs in for a short score but it was Detroit's defence that dominated this game Getty Images 100/130 Green Bay Packers 27 Miami Dolphins 24 Aaron Rodgers' fake spike allowed Green Bay to score a game-winning touchdown in the dying seconds Getty Images 101/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 10 Cleveland Browns 31 Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer was superb as Cleveland surprisingly beat their AFC North rivals Getty Images 102/130 Carolina Panthers 37 Cincinnati Bengals 37 Mike Nugent missed a last-second field goal that would have won the game for the Bengals as they played out a thrilling match in the first draw of the season Getty Images 103/130 New England Patriots 37 Buffalo Bills 22 Tom Brady celebrates with Brandon LaFell after finding his wide receiver for a touchdown Getty Images 104/130 Indianapolis Colts 33 Houston Texans 28 Andrew Luck and Sergio Brown celebrate the Indianapolis Colts' victory over AFC South rivals the Houston Texans Getty Images 105/130 San Diego Chargers 31 New York Jets 0 Philip Rivers inspired the San Diego Chargers to a 31-0 shutout of the New York Jets Getty Images 106/130 Cleveland Browns 29 Tennessee Titans 28 Travis Benjamin caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer to complete the Cleveland Browns' comeback against the Tennessee Titans Getty Images 107/130 Dallas Cowboys 20 Houston Texans 17 Dan Bailey kicks the game-winning for the Dallas Cowboys in their overtime win against the Houston Texans Getty Images 108/130 New York Giants 30 Atlanta Falcons 20 Odell Beckham Jr celebrates scoring the match-winning touchdown on his debut for the New York Giants Getty Images 109/130 Green Bay Packers 42 Minnesota Vikings 10 Eddie Lacy rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers routed their NFC North rivals Getty Images 110/130 Green Bay Packers 42 Minnesota Vikings 10 Defensive end Julius Peppers intercepted a pass and ran it 56 yards for a touchdown Getty Images 111/130 Kansas City Chiefs 41 New England Patriots 14 Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith begins a play threw for three touchdowns Getty Images 112/130 Kansas City Chiefs 41 New England Patriots 14 On his return from injury running back Jamaal Charles scored one rushing and two catchind touchdowns Getty Images 113/130 Dallas Cowboys 38 New Orleans 17 Tony Romo looked close to his best as the Cowboys dominated the Saints in Texas Getty Images 114/130 San Francisco 49ers 26 Philadelphia Eagles 21 Frank Gore had more than 100 yards rushing and also a 55-yard touchdown catch as the 49ers narrowly beat the Eagles Getty Images 115/130 Minnesota Vikings 41 Atlanta Falcons 28 Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 300 yards on his first NFL start; though he did hurt his ankle late on Getty Images 116/130 San Diego Chargers 33 Jacksonville Jaguars 14 Philip Rivers threw just shy of 400 yards and three touchdowns against the Jags Getty Images 117/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 Vincent Jackson scored a last-second touchdown for the Bucs to win their first game of the season Getty Images 118/130 Oakland Raiders 14 Miami Dolphins 38 Cortland Finnegan celebrates after recovering a fumble in the Dolphins' rout of the Raiders at Wembley Getty Images 119/130 New York Jets 17 Detroit Lions 24 Matthew Stafford celebrates a rushing touchdown - he threw two more - as the Lions won despite injury to Calvin Johnson Getty Images 120/130 Indianapolis Colts 41 Tennessee Titans 17 Andrew Luck had another huge day for the Colts with 393 yards and four touchdowns 121/130 Houston Texans 23 Buffalo Bills 17 Defensive end JJ Watt on his way to a touchdown after intercepting EJ Manuel's pass 122/130 Chicago Bears 17 Green Bay Packers 38 Aaron Rodgers threw more than 300 yards and four touchdowns in a massive win at Soldier Field Getty Images 123/130 Baltimore Ravens 38 Carolina Panthers 10 Steve Smith had a huge day against his former team, with two touchdowns and 139 yards Getty Images 124/130 Washington Redskins 14 New York Giants 45 Eli Manning celebrates a rushing touchdown - he threw for three more in the massive win Getty Images 125/130 Chicago Bears 27 New York Jets 19 Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery of the Chicago Bears is tackled by free safety Antonio Allen of the New York Jets Getty Images 126/130 Pittsburgh Steelers 37 Carolina Panthers 19 Leveon Bell ran more than 100 yards for the Steelers who fought back to beat Carolina Getty Images 127/130 Kansas City Chiefs 34 Miami Dolphins 15 Alex Smith threw three touchdowns as the Chiefs beat the lacklustre Dolphins, who play in London in Week Four Getty Images 128/130 Baltimore Ravens 23 Cleveland Browns 21 Justin Tucker kicked a field goal in the dying seconds for the Ravens to steal a win over their rivals Getty Images 129/130 Houston Texans 17 New York Giants 30 Rashad Jennings rushed for a career-high 176 yards in an excellent performance by the Giants Getty Images 130/130 Minnesota Vikings 9 New Orleans Saints 20 Drew Brees threw just shy of 300 yards in a routine win for the Saints Getty Images

This can be seen when looking at previous cases, such as the celebration displayed by Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver Greg Jennings during Super Bowl XLV, but his team-mate Nick Collins was hit with a 15-yard penalty when he took to the ground to celebrate. What’s the difference between the two? Decide for yourselves...

Following Monday’s match though, Abdullah accepted the ruling with grace, and revealed that in his eyes he was penalised for sliding into the prayer rather than the prayer itself.

However, the incident has still kicked up a fuss with fans claiming he wouldn’t have been penalised had he been a Christian celebrating a touchdown, and at a time when the NFL needs some seriously positive publicity, this is another unwelcome incident in the 2014 season. NFL advisor CJ Laboy, who represents Abdullah, later tweeted that the League would have "problems" on their hands should they decide to fine him.

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