How were the disbelievers able to elevate and advance their civilizations despite their disbelief, and how did Allah Almighty enable them to achieve that?

Allah has ordained the universe to operate on a system where causes are linked to their effects, and His sunnah (way) does not change. Thus, whoever takes hold of a cause will reach its effect, regardless of their faith. The advancement of disbelievers was due to their embracing the means of progress, not because of their standing with Allah. Conversely, the backwardness of Muslims was due to their abandonment of these means. A believer who embraces the means of this world will be happy in both abodes (this life and the hereafter), while one who abandons them will suffer in both. The believer who abandons the means will suffer in this world but will be saved in the hereafter after accountability, whereas the non-believer who embraces the means will be happy in this world but will perish in the hereafter. The current backwardness of Muslims is not due to their faith itself, but rather to their abandonment of the means, which is a consequence of their weak faith, and they have no one to blame but themselves.