President Abdulla Yameen has called on the people "to move forward in the true spirit of Islam".

The President made the appeal in his message on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad.

He appealed to the people "to continue adherence to the Islamic faith and to move forward in the true spirit of Islam".

He said that "the main aim of commemorating the occasion should be to study and to accept the Islamic values embodied by the Prophet and to learn life lessons from the Prophet so that we may seek betterment in our own lives".

He said that the major lessons "that should be learnt from the life of the Prophet" include "being an example of perseverance and courageousness within all obstacles he faced while spreading the Islamic faith".

"The Prophets persistence, under the prevailing circumstances, had made our religion the most respected, most admired around the world," added President Yameen.

Muslims across the world are celebrating Mawlid al-Nabawi on Thursday, which refers to the birth of Prophet Muhammad.