Remember when Moses said to his people: "O my people, remember the favours that God bestowed on you when He appointed apostles from among you, and made you kings and gave you what had never been given to any one in the world. 20 O my people! Enter the holy land which God has promised you; but do not turn back [on your faith,] for then you will be lost!" 21 They said: "O Moses, in that land live a people who are formidable; we shall never go there until they leave. We shall enter when they go away." 22 So two men who were among those who feared Allah and whom Allah had favoured said, “Enter upon them by force, through the gate; if you enter the gate, victory will be yours; and depend only upon Allah, if you have faith.” 23 They said, "(Moses), as long as they are in the land, we shall never go there. Go with your Lord to fight them but we shall stay where we are". 24 He [Musa (Moses)] said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother, so separate us from the people who are the Fasiqun (rebellious and disobedient to Allah)!" 25 (Allah) said: "Therefore it (this holy land) is forbidden to them for forty years; in distraction they will wander through the land. So be not sorrowful over the people who are the Fasiqun (rebellious and disobedient to Allah)." 26