OMEN - ILL AND WELL

      Man has always augured ill or well on some particular incidents to mean promising a victory or gain, or a failure or loss! This is where there is no logical relation between the incident, and the loss or gain.

      Logically Omen has no natural or physical effect upon the foreseen gain or loss, but it has some psychological results - good omen may induce hope in One's heart, and cause more strife and effort. On the contrary ill omen may cause despair and fear, wavering man in his decision making. This is why in Islam good omen has been enjoined, and bad omen has strictly been prohibited.

      Our prophet S.A. loved good omen for creating hope and making man more active and seeking help in Allah. On the contrary, he paid no heed to ill omen and knew it as some sort of polytheism.

      HAZRAT IMAM SADIQ (AS) has said: ``An ill omen is as effective as you may think it is. If you take it easy it shall be light. If you think too much of it, by that you will make it harder. But if you ignore, and pay no heed to it, you will reduce it to nothing.''

      This is because Omen, by itself is nothing and does not have physical or spiritual basis, and has no physical or natural effect on man's life and affair, but its psychological effects have to be considered.

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