Mask

A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, concealment, performance, or amusement. The word "mask" came via French masque, Italian maschera or Spanish máscara.

There are a wide variety of masks used. African tribes believe that the animal masks can help them communicate with the spirits who live in forests or open savannas.

In Papua New Guinea six metre-high totem masks are placed to protect the living from spirits.

In Latin America, for the Aztecs human skulls & skull masks were prized as war trophies.

China Shigong dance masks were used in shamanic rituals to thank the gods, while Nuo dance masks protected from bad spirits.

Masked characters, usually divinities, are a central feature of Indian dramatic forms, many based on depicting the epics Mahabharata andRamayana.

Oxygen mask and Surgical mask are forms of medical equipment.

Masks are also used to avoid recognition such as in court or during protest. For example masks wore by supporters of Anwar Ibrahim during tons of illegal yet stupid street rallies in KL.

Fandi Amuk wears mask and only he knows why. Some wrestlers do that as well as gimmick.

Filter mask is a piece of safety equipment that helps to protect from dirts, haze, smoke as well as protection from the recent H1N1 disease.

Every year, Malaysians mainly in West of Peninsular Malaysia are wearing Filter mask to protect their goodselves from smoke and dirts in hazy condition due to open burning in Indonesia.

Moreover, the smoke is a sign as stated in the Quran:

Allah said:-- "Then watch you (O Muhammad) for the day when the sky will produce a kind of smoke plainly visible." (44.10).

Mask is metaphorically resembles a Hypocrite - the act of pretending that one has beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities or standards that they do not actually have; done in order to mask their actual motives or feelings; falseness.

A hypocrite in Islam is one who saw Islam; accepted its principles; embraced it; went along with it, but when his life style and preferences were challenged, Islam had failed with him.

Allah says:

"O Prophet! Strive hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell,- an evil refuge (indeed)".

(Al-Quran: 66/9).

In this regard Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he gives an agreement, he does not fulfill his commitment; and when he is entrusted, he betrays the trust.

(Reported by Abu Hurayrah).

Also he said:

"You will find that the worst person is double-faced; he meets one group of people with one side of his face, while another with the other side".

(Reported by Abu Hurayra)

Some good movies potrays mask such as Jim Carrey’s The Mask, my all-time favorite Man In The Iron Mask, Zorro, Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th series and Wes Craven's Scream.

As Batman said to Dr Chase Meridien in Batman Forever (1995):

"We all wear mask"

In the so-called fast moving world, often we try to let people think that we're happy although we're not, and more sad about evrything that wents wrong.

Happy faces are welcomed; The sads ignored.

We expect to get attention by showing sadness whilst we are being left stranded on our own - in grief.

Reality wants to see happiness at all time when happiness does not exist at all time, or not at all.

We are all wearing masks. One way or another.