Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
We should first understand that the secrets of Allah’s decrees and their complete wisdom are not matters that human beings are capable of fully comprehending with their minds. Allah سبحانه knows best what He does, and He is not questioned about what He does, while human knowledge is limited. Therefore, when calamities occur, it is not permissible to say that Allah “does nothing” or that supplication has no one to answer it. Allah سبحانه is the Creator and the One who manages all affairs, and nothing occurs within His dominion outside His knowledge, decree, and wisdom.
The trials and massacres that occur in this world are not new in human history. Previous nations experienced great disasters and calamities as well, including what occurred in Baghdad and other lands. Yet this was not evidence that Allah was heedless of His servants or that He approved of the oppression of the oppressors. Allah تعالى says:
﴿And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare in horror﴾ [Ibrahim: 42].
This world is a realm of trial and examination, not the realm of complete recompense. Believers may be tested, oppressors may be given respite, and the trial may serve to raise the ranks of believers, expiate their sins, and provide a lesson for others. It may also be a means of gradually leading the oppressors toward their destruction until Allah seizes them with the seizure of the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Allah تعالى says, after mentioning what befell the believers at Uhud:
﴿And these days We alternate among the people﴾ [Aal ‘Imran: 140].
Furthermore, miracles are not something that should be expected to occur in every crisis. They are among Allah’s signs by which He supports His prophets, and they are not the normal means by which the conditions of nations are changed. As for people’s lives in this world, they are based upon causes and means. Therefore, Allah commanded people to strive and work and to struggle in the cause of reforming their circumstances. Results follow from the means that people take toward righteousness or corruption.
Allah may allow His enemies to gain power over some of His close servants for a wisdom known to Him, and this does not mean that He has neglected them or that they are insignificant in His sight. Their suffering may be a means of expiating sins and raising their ranks. The continued existence of oppressors for a period may be a test for the believers and a gradual leading of the oppressors toward their downfall, after which they will face their reckoning and recompense.
Therefore, when a Muslim sees such calamities, it is obligatory for him to have a good opinion of Allah, believe in His decree and wisdom, not object to His actions, and not wait for miracles. Rather, he should take the legitimate means to support the oppressed and improve the condition of the Muslims, while supplicating to Allah, remaining patient, and working.
The conditions of nations may also change over time. How many nations have passed through hardship and then regained strength and honor? Therefore, a person should not assume that what happens at one particular moment in history represents the end of the matter.
In conclusion: The absence of miracles to support Muslims during every calamity does not indicate an absence of Allah’s power or that supplication is not being answered. Rather, events proceed according to Allah’s decree, His wisdom, and His established ways in His creation. Allah may test the believers and give the oppressors respite, and then He will give every soul what it deserves, whether in this world or in the Hereafter. Therefore, the Muslim should combine supplication, patience, reliance upon Allah, and taking the legitimate means, while remaining certain that Allah is never heedless of the oppression committed by the oppressors.
And Allah knows best.