Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Hands

Hamsa

The hamsa, the open hand of protection from North Africa and the Middle East: its meaning for Jews and Muslims, its names, the eye in its palm and where you see it today.

Also called Hand of Fatima · Hand of Miriam · Khamsa

In brief

  1. I.The hamsa is an open right hand, often with an eye in the palm, worn and hung as protection against the evil eye.
  2. II.Its name comes from the Arabic word for “five”.
  3. III.Muslims sometimes call it the Hand of Fatima, Jews the Hand of Miriam.
  4. IV.It is a folk symbol rather than an official sign of either religion.

Chapter I

What it means

The hamsa is a hand that stops harm. Its main purpose is to turn away the evil eye, the envious look believed in many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures to bring misfortune. The eye often drawn in its palm looks back at the evil eye and disarms it.

Jews have linked its five fingers with the five books of the Torah, and some Muslims with the five pillars of Islam. Such readings are popular rather than official; at heart it is a sign of protection and blessing.

Chapter II

Where it comes from

Hand amulets are very old in the region; their exact origins are debated. The hamsa became especially popular in North Africa, among Muslim and Jewish communities alike, and in Spain under Muslim rule. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews carried the custom across the world.

Chapter III

Where you see it today

Hamsas hang over doorways and in cars, are painted on walls and are worn as jewellery throughout North Africa, the Middle East and Israel. They are common gifts for a new home or a newborn child.

Questions people ask

Do Judaism and Islam teach the use of the hamsa?

Not as doctrine. It belongs to popular custom, and some religious authorities in both traditions discourage amulets. It is nonetheless very widely used.

Should the fingers point up or down?

Both are common. Some say fingers up wards off evil and fingers down invites blessing, but there is no fixed rule.

Sources and further reading

  1. Miranda Bruce-Mitford, Signs & Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings (DK, 2008)
  2. J. C. Cooper, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols (Thames & Hudson, 1978)
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Religious symbolism and iconography”

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