Germany's Merkel congratulates Muslims on the beginning of Ramadan

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has congratulated Muslims in the country and around the world on the start of the Ramadan fast, Report says, citing the official website of the head of the German government.

The message says that people cannot celebrate Ramadan as they used to because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The coronavirus pandemic forces us to abandon traditions, festivals, and gatherings, the usual forms of religious practice of the community. I hope that even in this exceptional situation, you will find ways to live up to your faith. That is why I wish you and your families a peaceful, blessed time and health," the message reads.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, centuries-old guidance from Islam's revered Prophet and founder on how to exercise faith amid a plague has been highlighted by clerics and scholars as 1.8 billion Muslims around the world — and around 3.5 million in the United States — grapple with social distancing and quarantines during the holy month of Ramadan.

"If you hear of an outbreak, or plague in a land, do not enter it. But if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place," the Prophet Muhammad advises Muslims.