Considering that the Khamsa silks are imbued with characters celebrated in mystic poetry, it would follow that the wearers of these divinely inspired luxury garments would be practicing Sufis. However, a careful study of the relationship between mysticism and material culture indicates that this connection is hardly straightforward. While the iconography of Khamsa silks implies a strong correspondence with mystic belief, the donning of figural silk garments for men is a highly contested practice in traditional Islam, and in some cases within Sufi circles as well. From the latter half of the seventh century, sumptuary laws based on shari’a (‘Islamic canonical law’) were enforced to prohibit men from wearing silk and limit the depiction of human figures, whose function and context were continually debated by the ‘ulema (‘scholars of Islamic teaching’) throughout the centuries. From the medieval period, Sufi etiquette books were penned by spiritual leaders to define behaviour codes for followers of mystic belief, including chapters focused on permissible dress and materials.

Garments were also gifted as blessings and symbols of approval. In Sufi practice, the transfer of a sacred garment can indicate the conferral of spiritual authority, or a blessing for its recipient. In courtly culture, honorific robes were granted as a sign of approval and accepted as a form of allegiance.