Spiritual Meaning of Hamsa Hand: The Truth Behind It

You might have come across Hamsa Hand in one way or another. Hamsa hand is a major type of jewelry worn by various religious people; whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc., to express a specific spiritual meaning. 

Most religions believe that this ancient symbol can be protective against evil or a sign of good luck when people wear or believe in it. Hamsa is an Akkadian word meaning ‘Five’. 

Learn more about the Hamsa hand in this 2024 descriptive article. We will extensively discuss the history, and spiritual perspectives related to the Hamsa Hand. So locked!

The word Hamsa means an open right hand with an open eye. A hand will always have five fingers hence the word ‘Hamsa’. 

The open eye is located on the palm. Hamsa is known by various names depending on religion.

Some of these names include the Hand of Fatima, the Hand of Miriam, the Hand Of Mary, or simply the Hamsa hand. The religions that believe in Hamsa Hand include Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism. 

The Hamsa hand has a very unique shape with three large fingers in the middle, the thumb, the pinky finger, and the eye on the palm. 

Each feature of the hand has a specific meaning, which is distinct for each religion.

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The earliest known use of Hamsa symbols and artifacts is traced back in 4000 BC in Mesopotamia. They were used as amulets by the goddesses Inanna or Ishtar. 

Images of open right-hand Hamsa were traced in Carthage (Current Tunisia), North Africa, Iberian Peninsula which were ancient colonies for Phoenicians. 

Later discoveries of Hamsa include discoveries in Khirbet el-Qom in an Israelite tomb back in the 8th century. 

This jewelry is believed to have been used and adopted by religions over the centuries and is currently a major piece of jewelry for protection and positivity in contemporary society.

The Hamsa Hand is believed to have been discovered in the Middle East as a representation of God’s hand. Origin is traceable in Ancient Mesopotamia. 

It was first identified in Assyria and Babylonia and at that time it is believed to have been used to eliminate evil spirits in communities. It was considered a magical symbol that could keep people away from evil mysteries. 

The meaning of the word ‘Hamsa’ came from the Akkadian word Hamussu implying five. The Hamsa Hand is believed to represent the five major human organs which include the brain, heart, kidney, lungs, and liver.

Since the days of its origin, Hamsa always implied protection, strength, and power. This is a belief adopted by all religions that believe in Hamsa Hand. 

In Islam, it is known as the Hand of Fatima while in Judaism, known as the Hand of Miriam and is believed to protect people against the evil eye and negativity. There are two major ways to describe Hamsa. This includes;

It implies the Hamsa Hand faces downwards. This symbolizes the opening up of goodness and abundance by the highest. 

People with this Hamsa believe that they are welcoming blessing and abundance as well as finding fertility, good luck, and positive manifestation.  

In this case, Hamsa Hand faces upwards. Symbolically it implies fighting evil. It means protection against evil, and inner thoughts of jealousy, hatred, and insecurities. 

The Hand has its fingers spread apart to signify fighting evil.

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The spiritual implication of Hamsa Hand goes beyond protection, strength, and power. In most religions, people consider the Hamsa Hand more like a balance or flow of energy in the body.

 It can be used to represent the Chakras, our five sense organs, energy flow in the body, and mudras affecting them. Below are some of the Hamsa Hand representations by various religions;

The thumb finger: It represents the fire element and the Solar Plexus Chakra in energy flow. This implies that it can be used for meditation to achieve spiritual purpose and life balance.

 The forefinger: It represents the Air Element and the heart chakra in energy flow.

 The middle finger: It represents the throat chakra and Ethereal elements.

 The ring finger: Represents the earth element and root chakra.

 Pinky finger: Covers the water element and Sacral Chakra.

 When people wear their Hamsa, they seek to align their energy flow and bring spiritual and life balance.

In Islam, the Hamsa Hand is referred to as the Hand of Fatima (Named after Fatima who was Prophet Mohammed’s daughter). It implies Fatima’s role in protecting believers from evil spirits. 

It is mainly a protective sign that is believed to keep people away from evil mysteries. The center eye at the palm is believed to keep evil spirits away. 

Additionally, it has been interpreted to represent the five pillars of Islam which include; the profession of faith (shahada), prayer(salat), Alms (zakat), fasting (sawm), and Pilgrimage (hajj). 

This remains as a major reminder for Muslims to stay loyal and true to their faith in God.

The Hamsa Hand is believed to be a protective hand in Judaism. It dates back to the Biblical Old Testament times when the Ten Commandments stated the strong hand of God who led Israelites out of Egypt. 

Jews see the Hamsa as God’s hand from Heaven to protect His people from their enemies. Others also considered it as the Hand of Miriam, the sister to Moses and Aaron hence a symbol of strength and maternal virtues.

 Later it was used as a sign of priesthood in Europe to show strength and protection.

Christianity adopted hamsa (Known as Khamsa) from Islam back in the 5th century. Christians mainly refer to the Hamsa Hand as the Hand of Mother Mary, more so among catholics.

It is believed to signify good fortune among Christians and those around them. Christians believe that the Hand of Mary will always protect them from evil and help them succeed in their activities through good fortune.

 It is also seen as a sign of divine guidance, faith, and security.

Mudras are the most common applications of Hamsa Hands in Buddhism. Buddhists use hand gesture symbols to meditate and perform rituals, mainly through open hands facing upwards. 

Open hands imply how generous and compassionate. Buddhists could also apply Mudras to chase away demons and expel fears in their societies. It is important to note that Buddhism rarely uses physical Hamsa Hands in spirituality. 

However, through their action resembling Hamsa Hands, they can perform spiritual rituals that bring them close to their superpowers.

Most common practices include mediations whereby each finger represents a specific energy center known as Chakra. This stimulates a specific flow of energy promoting life comfort and spirituality.

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Since time immemorial, Hamsa Hands have served as a universal sign of blessing, protection, and positivity.

Various communities and religions have the way they use the Hamsa hand to stimulate spirituality. 

This could range from Hamsa Hand symbols, meditation, and religious practices and rituals. All these ways aim at achieving spirituality.

That aside, we can conclude that Hamsa hands promote understanding and unity among communities.