Amid the epidemic, the President of the Muslim Religious Union of Poland Tomasz Miśkiewicz appealed to the faithful to pray at homes, not in mosques and prayer houses. Radek Pietruszka/PAP

Polish Muslims, like followers of Islam all over the world, on Friday began the month long fast of Ramadan.

Amid the epidemic, the President of the Muslim Religious Union of Poland Tomasz Miśkiewicz appealed to the faithful to pray at homes, not in mosques and prayer houses.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year observed as a month of fasting by Muslims worldwide.

The month of fasting will end with the joyful three-day celebration of Eid al-Fitr to start on May 24.

According to Muslim society representatives the Religious Union has some 5,000 members. Most of them live in Podlaskie province (north-eastern Poland) and are of Tartar descent. The total number of Muslims in Poland is estimated at 20,000-25,000 including students, diplomats, businessmen and refugees from Muslim countries.