Shamail can be embroidered on a piece of fabric, printed, inked on paper, or painted on glass or canvas. It is placed in mosques or in dwellings above doorways. The main purpose of the shamail is to mark the presence of the one God of Allah.

 
The first shamails “Hilje Sharif” contained a verbal description of the portrait of Prophet Muhammad and his outstanding qualities. The subject of this shamail is remembering the name of the Almighty and the holy family of Prophet Muhammad. This helps the worshippers to get rid of diseases, troubles and misfortunes. Imams of mosques, village mullahs, and, less frequently, artists created calligraphic arrangements on shamails. They were executed in black or colored ink and watercolor on hard paper. The finished shamails were often framed under glass. A number of contemporary painters create abstract compositions in which they develop the theme of sacredness and divine writing.

 
The color scheme used by the artist to paint the shamail from the Museum of the History of World Cultures and Religions is also symbolic. The white color in Islam represents goodness, dignity and purity, green — youth and abundance, blooming nature and full life. Yellow or golden color has a special status — it is associated with wealth, success, fame and creativity, because the first cow sacrificed to Allah was yellow.The red color in Muslim culture symbolizes feelings, fire and blood.