As I was reading, I picked up on the period of time between two different states. Often, during a trial, it's as though time stops, and each day passes no different than the previous and we feel like we're stuck in time. We perceive that nothing is changing. And it feels perpetual. It's difficult to even remember what hope feels like... It's difficult to imagine things being different, SubhanAllah.

Allah SWT gives us several examples of two different states. 'Sunlight - nightfall', 'orphan - shelter', 'lost - guided', 'needy - self-sufficient'.

We can think of the many states we've been in during our life and we see that these are all apparent and we could probably pinpoint most of them on a timeline. But we struggle to perceive the reality of the time in-between the states that we're in. The period where it seems like nothing is happening.

Allah SWT is reminding us that a transition is always taking place outside of our knowledge. A period of apparent stillness does not mean He is suddenly absent and away from us, that He has abandoned us. And that's exactly where we need to place our trust, our patience and our hope in Him. It is often during those difficult moments when everything seems to stand still that He is the closest. In the depths of the night, when the world around us has stopped, He is in the lowest Heaven waiting to respond to His servant. Don't those very still moments with Him seem to be suspended in time? A Divine connection outside of this dunya? And what He has outside of this dunya for us for our patience, gratitude and obedience is in a perpetual state that will never change. SubhanAllah.

Allah SWT tells us to never forget the many states we were in. To give hope to others and to not mistreat those who were once us, or could've been us. What is the danger of doing that? To become like those that believe people can't change, can't be helped, can't be guided by the will of Allah SWT. Isn't Shaytaan the utterly hopeless one that inspires us to despair about everything? Isn't he also the most arrogant one that encourages us to think we are deserving of our blessings and therefore it makes us better than others?

How are we certain that our state won't change once again to where we were previously, or even worse? It may be that we are one day overpowered by someone we once thought would never have any authority over us. There are countless examples of these throughout the many stories in the Qur'an. There is always hope, for all of Allah SWT's slaves, even for the most downtrodden, underdogs of society. And even for the tyrant right up until their last breath. He honours whoever He wills and He humbles whoever He wills. And He, the King and Owner of Dominion, has power over everything.