silver pendant, hand of Fatima with the Moon and Star

The new dedicated to the myths and legends section Islamic could not open with a post dedicated to the "Hand of Fatima" or "Khamsa".

 This name, which in Arabic means "five", indicates just the fingers of the hand.

The Khamsa is a common amulet to Islam and Judaism. In the latter it is known as the "Hand of Miriam".

For Muslims, the talisman is a symbol of faith, commitment, patience and temperance. Legend has it that Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, he was jealous because of the decision of her husband, Ali, to take a concubine.

Seeing the two together Fatima, sorrowful, he puts his hand into boiling water without realizing it. Only later he noticed the burn and pain, overwhelmed by the sorrow of having to accept the presence of another woman beside her husband.

Ali finally realizing the great love that bound him to Fatima, he decided to give up the concubine. For Muslims, "The Hand of Fatima" is a powerful amulet against the evil eye and negative influences in general.

The number five refers, moreover, also the number of the pillars of Islam: the testimony of faith (shahada), prayer (salat), the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), almsgiving (zakat) and fasting (sawm) . The "Hand of Miriam" Jewish, however, bears the name of the sister of Aaron and Moses. Number five, in this case, is associated with the number of books of the Torah, the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The "Hand of Fatima" is an apotropaic symbol whose origins are, even today, in part unknown. There were similar protection symbols in Mesopotamia, but you can also track in Buddhism, through the different gestures of the Buddha, each with a specific meaning.

 For Shiites the five fingers of Khamsa represent the members of the holy family: Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hussein and Hassan.

Today, this object is mostly decorative and used as a jewel. It can be worn either with the tip pointing upwards and downwards. According to the central stone that characterizes the Khamsa represents the eye of God who watches over the faithful.

 According to the other shape of the hand, which can have all the fingers open, or "two inches" perfectly symmetrical to the sides, reminiscent of suffering tear shed from Fatima because of concubine Ali.