Is it possible that Allah has abandoned this Muslim generation for the time being: bearing in mind Muslim defeats all around the world?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

No doubt that any sincere Muslim who observes the state of Muslims nowadays will be extremely sad and heartbroken because of the weakness of Muslims and their lack of strategy, not to mention the humiliation and degradation they suffer at the hands of their enemies. Their blood is shed, their honor is violated, their land is occupied and their wealth is looted. This is why many Muslims wonder why doesn't Allah give Muslims triumph over their enemies?

No doubt that triumph is in the Hands of Allah Only. Allah Says (what means): {And victory is not except from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.} [Quran 3: 126] But there are conditions for triumph. If they are met, triumph will happen and the opposite is true. These are the Sunan (cause and effect) that Allah establishes in this world, as He Says (what means) {…and you will not find in the way of Allah any change.} [Quran 33: 62]

The causes for triumph are mentioned in the Quran.

1) Making all possible efforts to support the religion of Allah by implementing it on His Earth. Allah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet.} [Quran 47:7]

2) Performing good deeds as much as possible after the belief in Allah. Allah Says (what means): {[And they are] those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome of [all] matters.} [Quran 22: 41]

3) Achieving the servitude to Allah. Allah Says (what means): {Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me.} [Quran 24: 55]

4) Fearing Allah and being patient. Allah Says (what means):

• {And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do.} [Quran 3: 120]

• {Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and the enemy come upon you [attacking] in rage, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels having marks [of distinction]} [Quran 3:125]

5) Searching for the deficiencies and shortcomings inside ourselves and working to repair them and provide the appropriate remedy. Allah Says (what means): {Why [is it that] when a [single] disaster struck you [on the day of Uhud], although you had struck [the enemy in the battle of Badr] with one twice as great, you said, "From where is this?" Say, "It is from yourselves." Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.} [Quran 3: 165].

6) Forming a good sincere Muslim group who is ready to sacrifice everything in the Way of Allah regardless of their number. Allah Says (what means): {…"How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient."} [Quran 2: 249]

7) Preparing the material strength that dissuade the enemies. Allah Says (what means): {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows.} [Quran 8: 60]

Do the Muslims now fulfill the above conditions?

Any observer of the Muslim community now can notice easily that they have neglected many of these conditions and even fulfilled conditions that result in the opposite; i.e., in weakness and humiliation.

1) They (Muslims) have chosen the desires and comfort of this life. Imam Ahmad reported from Thawbaan that the Prophet said: “The nations are close to invading you from all horizons just like the eaters rush calling one another for their receptacle.” We said: “Is this due to our small number at that time?” The Prophet said: “You are numerous at that time. But you will be like the foam of the sea. Your enemies will no longer venerate you (veneration will be taken out of their hearts) and Wahan will be set in your hearts.” We asked him “And what is Wahan?” The Prophet replied: “Love for worldly affairs and fear of death.” [Ahmad and Abu Daawood]

2) Giving up Jihaad for the cause of Allah. Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet said: “If you sell anything on credit to anyone, on the condition that you will buy it back for a lower price (Al-'Eenah), take hold of the tails of cattle, become pleased with agriculture and give up Jihaad - Allah will make disgrace prevail over you and will not remove it from you till you return to your religion.” [Abu Daawood]

3) Disagreement and disunity. Allah Says (what means): {…and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength depart,…} [Quran 8: 46]

But pessimism and despair should not overwhelm the Muslim. It is a Sunnah of Allah that each hardship or distress is followed by a relief or a happiness. There are some glad tidings that prove that eternity is for this religion and that it will dominate anything else:

1) Tameem Ad-daari narrated that the Prophet said: “Indeed this matter (Islam) will reach any place where there is day and night and Allah will not leave any home of mud or wool (in the city or the country) except that He will make this religion enter it in honor of the venerated or the humiliation of the abject. An honor with which Allah venerates Islam and a humiliation with which Allah abjects Kufr.” [Ahmad]

2) Expansion of the area conquered by Islam. ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar Ibn Al-‘Aass was asked: “Which city will be conquered first Constantinople or Rome?' He ordered (someone) to bring him a box which had rings and took a book out of that box. Then ‘Abdullah said: “While we were around the Prophet writing, he was asked: ‘Which city will be conquered first Constantinople or Rome?' The Prophet said: “The city of Heraclius will be conquered first.” [Ahmad] Al-Albaani said: “And the first conquest was done by the Othomans, 800 years after the Prophet informed the companions and the second conquest will take place by the Will of Allah. No doubt about that.”

3) Jihaad against the Jews in the Great Battle. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “The Last Day will not take place before you fight the Jews until the stone behind which a Jew is hiding says: “O Muslim! This is a Jew behind me come and kill him.” [Al-Bukhari]

4) It is also reported that the Prophet said that Allah showed him the East and West of Earth and the Kingdom of his Ummah will reach where his sight reached.

5) Imam Ahmad reported that the Prophet said: “Give glad tidings to this Ummah of sublimity and strengthening in land, triumph and highness in Deen (religion), and whoever of them (this Ummah) does some deeds just for the purpose of getting something in this life will not have any share in the Last Day.”

So, the Muslim should trust Allah and should be certain of Allah's Promise. He should also know that the good will remain in this Ummah and that only that which is good perseveres.

Allah knows best.