"And the people of Moses took, after him," meaning: when he went to the appointed meeting, "from their ornaments," from the ornaments of the people of Pharaoh, "a calf, a body that had a lowing sound," meaning a voice.

Qatadah said: It began to low with the lowing of a cow. The explanation of their taking of the calf is mentioned in Surah Taha.

Muhammad said: The body (al-jasad) in the language is that which does not reason and does not discern, and the meaning of al-jasad here is the corpse or inanimate form. It is read as "min hulyihim" and "hulyihim". As for al-haly with a fathah on the ha, it is a noun for that which is adorned with gold and silver, and whoever reads it with a dammah on the ha, it is the plural of hulin.

"Did they not see that it could not speak to them," meaning: the calf.

"Nor guide them to a way," meaning: a path. "They took it," meaning: they took it as a god.

"And they were wrongdoers" to themselves.