In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Exalted] said: [ إِنَّ شَرَّ ٱلدَّوَآبِّ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلۡبُكۡمُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ – Verily! The worst of (moving) living creatures with Allah are the deaf and the dumb, those who understand not (i.e. the disbelievers)]. [Surah Al-Anfaal. Aayah 22] – Meaning, indeed, the worst of moving creatures on the earth – amongst all the things Allaah has created – in the Sight of Allaah are the deaf whose ears are blocked from hearing the truth, so they do not hear it, and the dumb whose tongues are prevented from uttering truth, so they do not utter it. These are the ones who do not understand Allaah’s commands and prohibitions. (1)

One of the calamities witnessed from the atheists is that when earthquakes occur, they say, “The BGS says that it was a magnitude such and such quake and that such an event only occurs in our country about every such and such number of years”. Indeed, this statement of theirs reminds us of the obstinate sinners of old – those who attributed Allaah’s signs and warnings to the passing of time! Allaah [The Exalted] said:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّبِيٍّ إِلَّا أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ
ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّىٰ عَفَوا وَّقَالُوا قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

And We sent no Prophet unto any town (and they denied him), but We seized its people with suffering from extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss of health and calamities, so that they might humiliate themselves (and repent to Allah). Then We changed the evil for the good, until they increased in number and in wealth, and said: “Our fathers were touched with evil (loss of health and calamities) and with good (prosperity, etc.).” So We seized them of a sudden while they were unaware. [Al-A’raaf. 94-95]

Imaam As-Sadi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: Meaning, they said, “This is something normal that has not ceased since the earlier and later generations and is still happening among the later generations. At times they were in a state of ease and at other times they encountered hardships; at times there was happiness and at other times there was sorrow, according to the alternation of time periods”. They thought that neither is there an admonition or reminder to pay attention to nor that this is Istidraaj (i.e. being gradually led to destruction whilst they persist in sin), until when they rejoiced in what they were given and this worldly life became the most important thing in their minds, Allaah seized them with punishment “suddenly while they were unaware”- Meaning, it never occured to them that they may encounter destruction, and they thought that they possessed full control over what Allah bestowed on them and that neither will they cease to exist nor leave it behind. (2)

We ask Allaah:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ العافِيَـةَ فـي الدُّنيا والآخِرَةِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ العَفْوَ والعافِيَـةَ فـي دِيني ودُنْـيايَ وأَهْلِي ومالِي، اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُـرْ عَوْراتِي، وآمِنْ رَوْعاتِي،
اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِـي مِنْ بَـيْنِ يَدَيَّ، ومِنْ خَلْفِي، وعَنْ يَمِيـنِـي، وعَنْ شِمالِي، ومِنْ فَوْقِي، وأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمَـتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتالَ مِنْ تَحْتِـي

O Allaah! I ask You for well-being in this Dunyaa and the Aaakhirah. O Allāh, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religion, my worldly affairs, my family and my wealth. O Allaah! Conceal my [faults, shortcomings etc] and safeguard me against everything that will bring me fear and sorrow. O Allaah! Protect me from in front, from behind me, from my right and my left, and from above. And I seek refuge with Your Magnificence from being swallowed up from beneath me.

The Relationship Between Sinning And Our Circumstances:

The Relationship Between Sinning And Our Circumstances

[Ref 1: An Excerpt from At-Tafseer Al-Muyassar]
[Ref 2: an Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi. slightly paraphrased]