Silk and silk-like fibres: halal attributes from a scientific viewpoint

Abstract

The prophet Muhammad S.A.W. has made silk unlawful for the Muslim males. The development of silk industry around the globe had made abundant the availability of textile merchandise of silk origins. Advancement of technology created textile materials of surface properties, texture and ‘feel’ which mimicked pure silks. As such, consumers and contemporary Muslims could no longer differentiate between pure silk and synthetic silk-like fabrics and are forced to face the issues of halal textiles/fabrics for wear and clothing. This paper gives an insight and review of the characteristics and properties of silk and silk-based textiles in the scientist’s viewpoint. Ways and techniques to produce synthetic and composite fabrics which resembled pure silk as reported in the literatures are revealed and discussed to identify possibilities of segregating between pure and synthetic silk-like fibres. In conclusion, it is the purpose of this paper to expose scientific background and knowledge on silk and silk-like textiles to the community so as to gain a better understanding and perspective on the issues of halal textiles.