An important Christian icon merges with a famous Islamic one: Our Lady of Fatima & the Hand of Fatima.
The hand of Fatima is also known as the hamsa hand (Arabic) or chamesh hand (Hebrew). It is an old and still popular amulet for magical protection from the evil eye. It is believed that the eye protects from evil and draws positive energy, happiness, riches and health. The hamsa (semitic root meaning five) sometimes includes five digits and symbolises God’s protective hand. In the Islamic tradition the five fingers can also represent the five pillars of the religion: the five duties incumbent on every Muslim.
Interestingly, the hand has been given female names by both Jews and Muslims. The Jews called it the Hand of Miriam, after the sister of Moses and Aaron. Muslims call it the Hand of Fatima, after the prophet Muhammed’s beloved daughter. This means that both names are linked to Mary, the mother of Jesus: through the Hebrew name Miriam (=Mary) and through the village of Fatima, a village named after a legendary Muslim princess who converted to Christianity and where Mary appeared in 1917. This makes the hamsa a symbol that touches upon the tradition of all the three religions of Abraham.
