Have the blessings that God bestowed upon the Children of Israel in their time ceased, or do they still continue? And why are they more advanced than us today? And what do we lack or what distracts us from being better than them?

It is not correct to reduce the causes of civilizational decline to a few manifestations, for civilizational progress is the product of innumerable factors and interdependencies that accumulate over the years. The Quran informed us about the manifestations of material progress as a test, and it tells us that previous nations were destroyed because they denied their messengers and were arrogant on earth, and that they used their bounties in this world without using them well.

Muhammad Rashid Rida mentions that the monotheism of the early Muslims and the purity of their souls is what led them to civilizational progress and leadership of nations, unlike their descendants who took nothing from Islam but traditional appearances.

We do not deny the impact of internal and external conspiracies, but we must not surrender to the spirit of defeat; rather, we must rise to the responsibility of leading nations.

The progress achieved by our enemies is the result of diligent work and not due to a special divine preference for them at this time, for His (Exalted be He) saying: "O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds" (Al-Baqarah/47), refers to previous blessings such as making the prophets from among them.

We must read our reality with optimism, and strive for progress through righteous deeds and by taking both religious and worldly means. Every individual should be a building block for construction and reform, for Allah blesses the little and grants victory to His messengers if they take the means of victory and progress.