f you take a trip to the Middle East or North Africa, chances are you’ll spot a lot of people wearing the Hand of Fatima, also known as Hamsa. You may even hear people mutter “Hamsa, Hamsa, Hamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu”, similar to the English phrase touch wood.

The Hamsa is that rare symbol that makes an appearance in all the world’s major religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each of these religions adopted the Hamsa and gave it their own interpretation.

the Hamsa is known by many names. This is because it’s an important symbol in almost every major religion. Here are some of its names.

• Hamsa: A transliteration of the Arabic “Jamsa” or “Khamsah” meaning five
• Hand of God: A general name
• Hand of Fatima: After Fatima, the daughter of the Islamic prophet
• Hand of Miriam: After Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses of Jewish faith
• Hand of Mother Mary: After Mary, the mother of Jesus in Christian beliefs
• Hamesh: Meaning 5 in Hebrew
• It’s also known by the variations Humes Hand, Khamesh and Khams
• In general, the Hamsa hand is a symbol of protection, warding off evil and keeping the user safe. It acts as a good luck charm.