Wait, why?

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — A Muslim consumer group warned today that the wearing of pure silk batik cloths is not only forbidden among Muslim men but is also a sign of Islam’s apocalypse, a prophetic revelation on the end of days.

The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) said many Muslims here are unaware of this fact, which it said is enshrined in several hadiths, also known as the collection of words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad.

“Rasulullah SAW has said that Muslim men cannot wear silk and gold.

“Hadiths also state that one of the tanda kiamat (signs of the apocalypse) is when pure silk is being worn, and that there is no awareness about this,” PPIM activist Sheikh Abd Kareem S Khadaied told reporters at a press conference here.

Batik is a form of textile art often marketed as a national heritage in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia.

Government leaders and religious figures here commonly use batik, which comes in a variety of materials, including pure silk, rayon and cotton, for official functions.