Tafsir of Ta-Ha 20:122

"Then his Lord chose him..."

If you ask: What is the meaning of {Then his Lord chose him (ijtabāhu)}?

I say: It means He accepted him after his repentance and drew him near to Himself. It is derived from the expression "I gathered (jabaytu) such-and-such to me, so I chose/gathered it (ijtabaytuhu)."

A parallel is: "The bride was displayed (juliya) to me, so I looked at her (ijtalaytuhā)."

From this is the saying of the Almighty, {And when you do not bring them a sign, they say, "Why have you not contrived/gathered it (ijtabaytahā)?"}—meaning: Why have you not gathered it to yourself and selected it?

The root of the word is "gathering." They say: "The horse gathered (ijtabat) itself," meaning it pulled itself together after bolting.

"And guided him"—meaning: He granted him success in maintaining his repentance and other means of protection (‘iṣmah) and piety (taqwā).

{He said, "Descend from it, all of you, [as] enemies to one another. And if there should come to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer [in the Hereafter]."}