Hamsa

{{Short description|Palm-shaped amulet}} {{hatnote group|{{About|the amulet|the Arabic letter|Hamza|other uses|Hamsa (disambiguation)|and|Khamsa (disambiguation)}} {{redirect-multi|2|Eye of Fatima|Hand of Fatima|the Camper Van Beethoven songs|Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart{{!}}''Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart''|the rock formation|Hand of Fatima (rock formation)}}}} {{Distinguish|Hamza|Hamza (name)}} {{italic title}} {{use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} [[File:Khamsa.jpg|upright|thumb|A hanging hamsa in a car in Tunisia.]] The '''''hamsa''''' (Arabic {{lang|ar|خمسة}} {{transliteration|ar|khamsa}}{{efn|{{lit|five}}, referring to images of 'the five fingers of the hand'}}),<ref name=Zennerp284>Zenner, 1988, [https://books.google.com/books?id=xsaQeU2UFpMC&pg=PA284 p. 284].</ref><ref name=WI>World Institute for Advanced Phenomenological Research and Learning (Belmont, Estados Unidos), 1991, [https://books.google.com/books?id=PWPMfF-pzLQC&pg=PA219 p. 219].</ref><ref name=Drazinp268>Drazin, 2009, [https://books.google.com/books?id=PerLtdiAKx0C&pg=PA268 p. 268].</ref> also romanized '''khamsa''', and known as the '''hand of''' '''Fatima''',<ref name="González-Wippler1991">{{cite book|last=González-Wippler|first=Migene |title=The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYd-HKmn8jUC&pg=173|year=1991|publisher=Llewellyn Publications|location=St. Paul, MN|isbn=978-0-87542-287-9|page=173}}</ref> is a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout North Africa and in the Middle East and commonly used in jewellery and wall hangings.<ref name=Bernasekp12>Bernasek et al., 2008, [https://books.google.com/books?id=584VAQAAIAAJ&q=khamsa+%22middle+east%22+%22north+africa%22 p. 12].</ref><ref name=Sonbolp355>Sonbol, 2005, [https://books.google.com/books?id=uUe8tBUvwE4C&dq=%22hand+of+fatima%22+evil+eye&pg=PA355 pp. 355–359].</ref> Depicting the open hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many times throughout history, the ''hamsa'' is believed to provide defense against the evil eye.

== Terminology and etymology == The standard name is "khamsa" (Arabic "five"), with Maghrebi variants "khmisa"/"khmisa".<ref name="brill2">{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170 |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |chapter=Chapter 2: The Symbolism of the Hand |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000015.xml?language=en |language=en}}</ref> In French colonial North Africa, Europeans popularized the label "Hand of Fatima" (French: "Main de Fatma")<ref name="brill6">{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170 |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |chapter=Chapter 6: Protective Power: The Khamsa in the Military Context |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000019.xml?language=en |quote=In addition, the colonists called it "la main de Fatma". |language=en}}</ref> - a colonial nickname rather than an indigenous Arabic term;{{efn|Popular explanations that link the five fingers to the Five Pillars, or that identify the amulet intrinsically with Fatima, are later accretions rather than original meanings of the symbol.<ref>{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170 |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |chapter=Chapter 8: The Hand Symbol in Shi'i contexts |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000021.xml?language=en |quote=The hand symbol does not represent the Five Pillars of Islam. |language=en}}</ref>}} in colonial-era French, "fatma" referred to a Muslim or Arab woman.<ref>{{cite web |title=fatma |website=Dictionnaire de l'Académie française (9th ed.) |url=https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9F0286 |language=fr |quote=Dans le français des Européens d'Afrique du Nord, au temps de la colonisation, femme musulmane et, spécialement, employée de maison indigène. |access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref> In Jewish usage it is also called the "Hand of Miriam" in Sephardi-Mizrahi contexts,{{sfn|Sabar|2010b}} or sometime hamesh (Hebrew "five").<ref>{{cite journal |last=Afshar |first=Amir H. |title=The Hand in Art: Hamsa Hand |journal=Journal of Hand Surgery |year=2013 |volume=38 |issue=12 |pages=2444–2445 |url=https://www.jhandsurg.org/article/S0363-5023(12)01799-6/fulltext |quote=The hamsa hand is also known as khamsa (5 in Arabic), hamesh (5 in Hebrew), hamesh hand, and chamsa. |language=en}}</ref> Among Levantine Christians it is known as the "Hand of Mary" (Arabic: "kef Miryam").<ref>{{cite book |last=Trumbull |first=H. Clay |title=The Threshold Covenant |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |year=1896 |page=77 |url=https://archive.org/details/thresholdcovenan00trum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Kopel |first=Jonathan |title=The Eye of Providence and the Hamsa in medicine |journal=Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives |year=2021 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=115–117 |pmc=8865327 |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8865327/ |language=en}}</ref> In the Berber languages, the term "{{transl|ber|afus}}", which denotes a decorative motif similar to the hamsa, literally means "hand".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Camps-Fabrer |first=Henriette |title=Afus (motif décoratif) |encyclopedia=Encyclopédie berbère |volume=2 |date=1985 |article=A83 |pages=224–227 |url=https://journals.openedition.org/encyclopedieberbere/896 |doi=10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.896 |language=fr |quote= The term afus is used in Greater Kabylia for a very specific type of pendants... But the term Afus is not used in the Aurès, in the M'zab, or in Morocco or Tunisia, where the Arabic name khamsa prevails / Le terme ''{{transl|ber|afus}}'' est donné en Grande Kabylie à un type bien précis de pendeloques... Mais le terme ''{{transl|ber|Afus}}'' n'est employé ni dans l'Aurès, ni au M'zab, ni au Maroc ou en Tunisie où prévaut l'appellation arabe de ''{{transl|ar|khamsa}}''.}}</ref>

==History== === Origin === [[File:Tophet Carthage.5.jpg|thumb|265x265px|A Punic stela from Carthage dedicated to Tinnit and Baal Hammon with a carved open right hand, as well as sign of Tinnit, sign of Baal Hammon above, Caduceus and naval symbols]]

Open-hand motifs, sometimes interpreted as apotropaic, are widely attested in the ancient Near East. Vervenne notes that the hand symbol is very common in the Near East and may, in some interpretations, be regarded as an antecedent of the protective khamsa. Von Kemnitz also notes that amulets representing the hand of Ishtar were used in Mesopotamia and Babylon to prevent evil or disease from entering a building.<ref>{{cite book |language=en |author=Eva-Maria von Kemnitz |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East |volume=170 |publisher=Brill |year=2023 |chapter=Chapter 2: The Symbolism of the Hand |quote=Amulets portraying the hand of Ishtar were used in Mesopotamia and Babylon to prevent evil or disease from entering a building.}}</ref> Another early piece of evidence often associated with this symbolic history is that of Khirbet el-Qom, in Judah, where an Iron Age tomb bears an engraved hand associated with an inscription. The exact meaning of this motif remains debated, but it is generally interpreted as a protective sign in a funerary context.<ref>{{cite book |language=en |author=Rachel Nabulsi |title=Death and Burial in Iron Age Israel, Aram, and Phoenicia |publisher=Gorgias Press |year=2017 |pages=87-89 |quote=The inscription does not stand alone. Accompanying the inscription is an upside down hand symbol. Dever writes that this would at first appear to be a later "Hand of Fatima," an Islamic amulet.}}</ref><ref name="Lemaire1977">{{cite journal |language=fr |first=André |last=Lemaire |title=Les inscriptions de Khirbet el-Qôm et l'ashérah de YHWH |journal=Revue biblique |volume=84 |issue=4 |date=October 1977 |pages=595-608 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44089785 |access-date=25 January 2026 |quote=la signification de cette main renversée reste assez énigmatique ; c'est probablement une sorte de représentation magique liée à la religion populaire ; on peut la rapprocher de la « main de Fatima » arabe connue dès la plus haute antiquité, en Égypte et en Mésopotamie}}</ref>

thumb|left|upright=0.5Another theory postulates a connection between the ''khamsa'' and the ''Mano Pantea'' (or Hand-of-the-All-Goddess), an amulet known to ancient Egyptians as the Two Fingers. In this amulet, the Two Fingers represent Isis and Osiris and the thumb represents their child Horus. It was used to invoke the protective spirits of parents over their child.<ref name=Sonbolp355 /> The Hand-of-Venus (or Aphrodite) and the Hand-of-Mary, were other names for hand amulets used to protect women from the evil eye and/or boost fertility and lactation, promote healthy pregnancies and strengthen the weak.<ref name=Sonbolp355 /> thumb|alt=Old Hamsa amulet|Hamsa amulet|386x386px

The symbol of a facing hand found on Nabataean coin types has been associated with the hamsa.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barkay |first1=Rachel |title=Coinage of the Nabataeans |date=2019 |pages=III–150 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26910342}}</ref>

=== Medieval Iberia and the Maghreb === According to von Kemnitz, "the Berbers brought the khamsa to al-Andalūs. Later, the expelled Muslim and Jewish population took it back to North Africa, introducing different motifs and techniques."<ref>{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170 |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |chapter=Chapter 5: The Khamsa in the Iberian Peninsula and Brazil |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000018.xml?language=en |language=en |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Within the Islamic world, historical use of the amulet is concentrated in the western Muslim world (Maghreb; historically al-Andalus), while attestations in the eastern Muslim world (Mashriq) are sparse; where a "hand" appears in eastern contexts it is often part of distinct Shi'i ritual iconography rather than the Maghrebi amulet tradition.<ref>{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170 |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |chapter=Chapter 1: Academic Research on the Hand Symbol |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000014.xml |quote=“Since the khamsa is particularly prevalent in North Africa, ethnographies on North Africa have a special place in the study of the khamsa.” |language=en |access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170 |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |chapter=Chapter 8: The Hand Symbol in Shiʿism |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000021.xml |quote=On the distinct Shi'i "hand" tradition and its theological framing. |language=en |access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Suleman |first=Fahmida |title=Ask ROM Anything: Fahmida Suleman |website=Royal Ontario Museum |url=https://www.rom.on.ca/learn/resource-hub/ask-rom-anything-fahmida-suleman |quote=Concludes the amulet originates in an ancient North African context (Tanit). |language=en |access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref> "In al-Andalūs, the use of the hamsa as amulet is well-documented from the thirteenth century onwards. This chronology would relate the use of this amulet to an increased Berber presence and their cultural influence".<ref>{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East, vol. 170 |publisher=Brill |year=2022 |chapter=Chapter 5: The Khamsa in the Iberian Peninsula and Brazil |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000018.xml?language=en |quote=In al-Andalūs, the use of the khamsa as amulet is well-documented from the thirteenth century onwards. This chronology would relate the use of this amulet to an increased Berber presence and their cultural influence. |language=en |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Among the Morisco population of Granada and nearby regions, khamsa pendants were particularly popular and were described as "large engraved medals ... with a hand inscribed with letters", likely containing Qurʾanic verses or expressions derived from the holy text that reinforced their apotropaic function.<ref name="Brill">[https://books.google.com/books?id=7CP7fYghBFQC&pg=PA600 ''E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936''], Volume 4, publié par M. Th. Houtsma, Page 600</ref> Ecclesiastical authorities sought to suppress their use: a reform council in 1526 banned khamsas as Islamic symbols and ordered their replacement by Christian crosses, while the Synod of Guadix renewed the prohibition in 1554.<ref name=Brill /> Despite this, khamsas were also worn by Christians, such as a Nasrid-period gold pendant inscribed Ave Maria gratia plena, illustrating their cross-confessional appeal.<ref name=Brill />

== Religious interpretations == === In Christianity === thumb|left|A ceramic hamsa depicting Jesus and his disciples

The ''khamsa'' holds recognition as a bearer of good fortune among Christians in the region as well. Levantine Christians call it the ''hand of Mary'' (Arabic: ''Kef Miryam'', or the "Virgin Mary's Hand").{{sfn|Perry|1970|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=s3Y4AAAAIAAJ&q=to+the+little-+known+fact+that+the+amulet+designated+as+the+%22hand+of+Fatima%22+is+called+by+Levantine+Christians+the+%22hand+of+Mary%22 186]}}<ref name=Trumballp77>Trumball, 1896, [https://archive.org/details/thresholdcovena00trumgoog  p. 77].</ref> Thirty-four years after the end of Islamic presence in Spain, its use was significant enough to prompt an episcopal committee convened by Emperor Charles V to decree a ban on the Hand of Fatima and all open right-hand amulets in 1526.<ref name=Sonbolp355 />

=== In Islam === Although pre-Islamic in origin and used across cultures, the hamsa was integrated into Islamic popular piety and is widely linked to Fatima al-Zahra as a protective emblem against harm and the evil eye.<ref name="Kemnitz2022">{{cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |year=2022}}</ref> The designation "Hand of Fatima" appears to be comparatively late; the Arabic phrase "yad Fatima" is rare in pre-modern usage and the name seems to have been popularized in modern and colonial-period discourse.<ref name="Kemnitz2022" />

In Shia Islam, the hamsa is reinterpreted through devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt. The five fingers are read as the ''panjtan'' or Ahl al-Kisa (Muhammad, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, Husayn ibn Ali), so the hand works as a visual shorthand for Shi'i imamology and for seeking the intercession of Fatimah in particular.<ref name = "Inloes">{{cite book |last=Inloes |first=Amina |year=2022 |title=The hand symbol in Shiism |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000021.xml |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |doi=10.1163/9789004526235_009}}</ref> This explains invocations written on or around hand-shaped objects, with the names of the ''panjtan'' placed on the fingers to activate their protective baraka.<ref name = "Inloes"/> In the same milieu, the hand can be identified not only as the "hand of Fatimah" but also as the hand of Ali ibn Abi Talib or, very prominently, the hand of Abbas ibn Ali, whose severed hands at the Battle of Karbala made the open palm a powerful emblem in Muharram processions and on ''ʿalams''.<ref name = "Inloes"/> Here the hamsa fuses protection, loyalty to the Prophet's household, and memorialisation of Karbala. Although Twelver theology avoids crude anthropomorphism, the Imams may be described as the "hand of God", which lets the hamsa retain sacral agency without contradicting doctrine.<ref name = "Inloes"/> The wide use of hand-topped standards, stoles and amulets in Iran, Iraq and South Asia reflects this specifically Shi'i layering of meanings.<ref name = "Inloes"/>

According to Eva-Maria von Kemnitz (citing Bruno Barbatti), the hamsa is regarded as the most important apotropaic sign in the Islamic world;<ref name ="vonKemnitz">{{Cite book |last=von Kemnitz |first=Eva-Maria |editor-last=Inloes |editor-first=Amina |title=The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World |chapter=Chapter 2: The Symbolism of the Hand |series=Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East |volume=170 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden; Boston |date=3 November 2022 |isbn=978-90-04-52622-8 |doi=10.1163/9789004526235 |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004526235/BP000015.xml?language=en |language=en |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Barbatti also argued that many modern depictions reflect an origin in sex symbolism.<ref name ="vonKemnitz"/> However, salafi authorities reject the khamsa as an amulet: a fatwa states it is impermissible to hang the "Khamsa" and another lists "hands of Fatima" among prohibited amulets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hanging amulets is prohibited regardless of the person’s intention |website=Islamweb (Fatwa No. 262186) |url=https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/262186/hanging-amulets-is-prohibited-regardless-of-the-persons-intention |quote="It is impermissible to hang the "Khamsah" amulet (also known as the 'Hand of Fatima')…" |language=en |date=2014-09-03 |access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Types of amulets and superstition that some Muslims fall into |website=IslamQA |url=https://islamqa.info/en/answers/126359 |quote="…things which are worn such as … 'hands of Fatima' …" |language=en |date=2009-02-15 |access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref>

=== In Judaism === [[File:כתובת אריהו מפורשת.jpg|thumb|Hand motif carved in the shape of a hamsa at Khirbet el-Qom (ancient Kingdom of Judah), dating to the 8th century BCE.<ref name="Lemaire1977" />]] [[File:Hamsa graffiti Tel Aviv Florentin area.jpg|thumb|311x311px|The Hamsa, or Hamesh, in Tel Aviv street art.]] [[File:Conseil des Communautés Israélites du Maroc.svg|thumb|250px|Hamsa as the symbol of the Council of Jewish Communities of Morocco]]

In relation to Judaism, one of the first appearances of the Hamsa was in Israelite tombs dating back to 800 BCE.<ref name="Lemaire1977" /> It is speculated that Sephardic Jews were among the first to use this amulet due to their beliefs about the evil eye.<ref>{{cite book |last=Frankel |first=Ellen |last2=Teutsch |first2=Betsy Platkin |title=The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=1992 |page=70}}</ref> The symbol of the hand appears in Kabbalistic manuscripts and amulets, doubling as the Hebrew letter "Shin", the first letter of "Shaddai", one of the names referring to God.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rubin |first=Norman A. |url=http://jewishmag.com/144mag/superstition_magic/superstition_magic.htm |title=Angels and Demons |publisher=Jewishmag.com |access-date=25 April 2025}}</ref> The hamsa remained widely used among Sephardi communities and Jews from Islamic countries, but largely fell into disuse in Ashkenazi milieus by the mid-20th century.{{sfn|Sabar|2010a|p=142}} The notion of a protective hand has been present in Judaism dating back to Biblical times, where it is referenced in Deuteronomy 5:15, stated in the Ten Commandments as the "strong hand" of God who led the Hebrews out of Egypt.{{sfn|Sabar|2010a}} The ''hamsa'' is later seen in Jewish art as God's hand reaching down from heaven. Evidence has also emerged of the hamsa being used by Jews from medieval Spain, often associated with "sympathetic magic".{{sfn|Sabar|2010a}} Historians such as Shalom Sabar believe that after the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492, exiled Jews likely used the hamsa as protection in the foreign lands to which they relocated. However, this assumption remains difficult to prove.{{sfn|Sabar|2010a}} According to Sabar, the hamsa has also been used later by Jews in Europe "as a distinctive sign of the priesthood, especially when they wished to show that a person was of priestly descent..."{{sfn|Sabar|2010a}}

Jewish people have also adopted the symbol of the hand, often interpreted in relation to the Biblical passage that says that "the Lord took the Israelites out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm".{{sfn|Sabar|2010a|p=141}} The "strong hand" is representative of the hamsa, which rooted its relevance in the community. The helping hand exemplified God's willingness to help his people and guide them out of struggle. Around the time of the Byzantine period, artists depicted God's hand reaching from above.{{sfn|Sabar|2010a|p=142}} God's hand from heaven would lead the Jewish people out of struggle, and the Jews subsequently made a connection with the hamsa and their culture. The hand was identified in Jewish texts and became an influential icon throughout the community. Among Jewish people, the ''hamsa'' is a highly respected, holy, and common symbol. It has sometimes been used to decorate the ''Ketubah'' (marriage contracts) and items used to dress the Torah, such as pointers and the Passover Haggadah.{{sfn|Sabar|2010a|p=144}} The presence of the hand image both inside and outside of synagogues suggests the importance and reverence the Jewish community associated with the hamsa. The hand decorated many of the most religious and sacred objects and later emerged from a phase of lesser use.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moreh |first=Rachel |date=26 April 2015 |title=Universality of the hamsa |url=https://haam.org/universality-of-the-hamsa/ |access-date=14 November 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Symbolism and usage == [[File:382 JUDAICA BLESSING.jpg|thumb|A hamsa embossed with the words of the Priestly Blessing in Hebrew]] thumb|upright=0.5|Amulet with two hands of Fatimah, bearing the inscriptions "God is the guardian", "God brings consolation in all trials"

The hand, particularly the open right hand, is a sign of protection that also represents blessings, power, and strength, and is seen as potent in deflecting the evil eye.<ref name=Sonbolp355 /><ref name=Rajabp116>Rajab, 1989, p. 116.</ref> One of the most common components of gold and silver jewellery in the region of the Middle East,<ref name=Badawip510 /> historically and traditionally, it was most commonly carved in jet or formed from silver, a metal believed to represent purity and to hold magical properties.<ref name=Sonbolp355 /><ref name=Lynchp8 /> It is also painted in red (sometimes using the blood of a sacrificed animal) on the walls of houses for protection,<ref name=Schimmelp92 /><ref name=Earlyp116 /> or painted or hung on the doorways of rooms, such as those of an expectant mother or new baby.<ref name=Sonbolp355 /> The hand can be depicted with the fingers spread apart to ward off evil, or closed together to bring good luck.<ref name=Gomezp54 /> Similarly, it can be portrayed with the fingers pointing upward to ward off evil, or downward to bestow blessings. Highly stylised versions may be difficult to recognise as hands, and can consist of five circles representing the fingers, situated around a central circle representing the palm.<ref name=Gomezp54>Gomez, 1996, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZbH5XYWiiy0C&dq=stylized+khamsa&pg=PA54 p. 54].</ref>

thumb|left|upright=0.5|Silver hamsa amulet of Berber tradition (''khmissa'')

Used to protect against the evil eye, a malicious stare believed to cause illness, death, or general misfortune, hamsas often contain an eye symbol.<ref name=Lynchp8>Lynch and Roberts, 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?id=4Qiq4ps_wDIC&dq=khamsa+hand&pg=PT34 p. 8].</ref><ref name=Hamp385 /> Depictions of the hand, the eye, or the number five in Arabic (and Berber) tradition are related to warding off the evil eye, as exemplified in the saying ''khamsa fi ainek'' ("five [fingers] in your eye").<ref name=Hamp385>Ham and Bing, 2007, [https://books.google.com/books?id=V_IMx-YYvJYC&dq=khamsa+evil+eye&pg=PA385 p. 385].</ref> Raising one's right hand with the palm showing and the fingers slightly apart is part of this curse meant "to blind the aggressor".<ref name=Schimmelp92>Schimmel, [https://books.google.com/books?id=vrlwo4OqvWgC&dq=%22hand+of+fatima%22&pg=PA92 p. 92].</ref> Another formula uttered against the evil eye in Arabic, but without hand gestures, is ''khamsa wa-khamis'' ("five and Thursday").<ref name=Lentp169>Lent et al., 1996, p. 189.</ref><ref name=Shinarp117>Shinar, 2004, [https://books.google.com/books?id=1huFh8xcpLEC&dq=khamsa+fish+hand&pg=PA117 p. 117].</ref> As the fifth day of the week, Thursday is considered a favourable day for magic rites and pilgrimages to the tombs of revered saints to counteract the effects of the evil eye.<ref name="Houtsmap897">Houtsma, 1993, p. 897.</ref>

Due to its significance in both Arabic and Berber culture, the ''hamsa'' is one of the national symbols of Algeria and appears in its emblem. It is also the most popular among different amulets (such as the Eye and the ''Hirz''—a silver box containing verses of the Quran) for warding off the evil eye in Egypt.<ref name=Badawip510>Badawi, 2004, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ojiQTtPEFckC&dq=khamsa+evil+eye&pg=PA510 p. 510].</ref> Egyptian women who live in ''baladi'' ("traditional") urban quarters often make ''khamaysa'', which are amulets made up of five (''khamsa'') objects attached to their children's hair or black aprons. The five objects can be made of peppers, hands, circles, or stars hanging from hooks.<ref name=Earlyp116>Early, 1993, [https://archive.org/details/baladiwomenofcai00earl/page/116  p. 116].</ref>

During modernisation across the Middle East, the hamsa symbol became less prominent in some areas due to its perceived incompatibility with secular ideals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://diamondion.com/hamsa-hand-secret-symbolism-and-meanings/|title=The Hamsa Hand: Secret Symbolism and Meanings|website=Diamondion|date=2018|access-date=12 September 2024}}</ref> However, it later emerged as a symbol of secularity and became a trendy talisman, frequently seen as a "good luck" charm. Today, the hamsa can be found on necklaces, keychains, postcards, lottery cards, and in advertisements, as well as high-end jewellery, decorative tilework, and wall decorations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arabamerica.com/the-hamsa-hand/|title=The Hamsa Hand: A Cultural and Religious Symbol|date=18 March 2020|website=Arab America|access-date=12 September 2024}}</ref>

Similar to the Western phrase "knock on wood" or "touch wood", a common expression in the Middle East is "Khamsa, Khamsa, Khamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu," which mimics the sound of spitting to ward off bad luck.<ref name="luck">{{Cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/lady-luck-1.217597 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426004740/http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/lady-luck-1.217597 |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 April 2011 |last=Bin-Nun |first=Yigal |work=Haaretz |date=8 April 2007 |access-date=21 June 2011|title=Lady Luck}}</ref>

Throughout various celebrations across the region, such as festivals emphasising fertility and prosperity, the number "5" is often highlighted, reflecting its association with the hamsa amulet. From Morocco to Turkey, the hamsa is a prevalent symbol of protection from misfortune and is widely incorporated into jewellery, home decor, and art.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.turkeyhomes.com/blog/post/turkish-symbols|title=Turkish Symbols and Their Meanings|website=Turkey Homes|access-date=12 September 2024}}</ref> Many women across the region own at least one piece of jewellery featuring the hamsa, symbolizing the enduring cultural significance of this talisman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://moroccanzest.com/morocco-jewelry/|title=Moroccan Jewelry|date=22 August 2018|website=Moroccan Zest|language=en-US|access-date=21 February 2019}}</ref>

The symbol {{Unichar|1FAAC|hamsa|size=150%|image=|note=}} was added to Unicode in 2021 (Unicode 14.0, Emoji 14.0).<ref>{{Cite web |title=🪬 Hamsa Emoji |url=https://emojipedia.org/hamsa/ |access-date=10 February 2023 |website=Emojipedia |language=en}}</ref>

== Notes == {{notelist}}

==References== === Citations === {{reflist}}

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== External links == * {{Commons category-inline|Khamsa}} * [https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6324210/jewish/Is-Hamsa-Jewish.htm Is Hamsa Jewish?] Chabad.org

Category:Amulets Category:Objects believed to protect from evil Category:Christian symbols Category:Fatima Category:Islam and Judaism Category:Jewish symbols Category:Buddhist symbols Category:Mary, mother of Jesus Category:National symbols of Algeria Category:National symbols of Tunisia Category:Hands in culture Category:Inanna Category:Tanit Category:Eyes in culture Category:Eyes in art