janet’s journal

The Hamsa, or hand symbol is used by Islamic people in decorative works. They call it the Hand of Fatima, after Muhammad’s daughter Fatima Zahra and the symbol may represent the Five Pillars of Islam. Some young Jewish and Arabic people wear the Hamsa as a symbol for peace between their two peoples as the symbol is present in the belief systems of both. Different designs of the eye-in-hand symbol are seen including a design with the eye in the centre of a four fingered hand with a thumb present, a design where only the fingers are shown and a symmetrical design that depicts a three fingered hand with two thumbs. In addition the fingers may be represented pointing both up and down.