Building snowmen is a popular winter activity for children, but a prominent Saudi cleric forbade the act in a recent address. 

Sheikh Mohammed Saleh al-Munajjid called snowmen anti-Islam, as they are made in the image of humans. 

The ruling followed a question on a religious website, when someone inquired whether it was sinful to build the figures. Saudi Arabia's northern region had experienced heavy snowfall, and there were enough inches for the activity. 

"It is not permitted to make a statue out of snow, even by way of play and fun," Sheikh al-Munajjid answered. 

Under strict Sunni law, the building of any human image is considered sinful. The cleric quoted Muslim scholars in his response. 

"God has given people space to make whatever they want which does not have a soul, including trees, ships, fruits, buildings and so on," he wrote.

The response received mixed reactions online, with many wondering if the religious interpretation was too strict. 

"They are afraid for their faith of everything," one person tweeted. 

Another said the country was filled with two types of people: "A people looking for a fatwa (religious ruling) for everything in their lives, and a cleric who wants to interfere in everything in the lives of others through a fatwa."

Others agreed with Sheikh al-Munajjid's ruling, and were thankful that he drew attention to the issue.

"It (building snowmen) is imitating the infidels, it promotes lustiness and eroticism,"  one person asserted

"May God preserve the scholars, for they enjoy sharp vision and recognise matters that even Satan does not think about."