What does « Lowing / To moo » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word Lowing / To moo (خوار) in the Quran, with 2 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

خوار

Lowing / To moo

Root: خ - ر

Quranic language 2 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 1 min read

Definition of Lowing / To moo

Allah says: 'A calf, a body that had a lowing sound (khuwâr)' (Al-A'râf: 148).

Al-khuwâr: the cry of cattle.

The golden calf of the Children of Israel emitted a sound through Sâmirî's artifice, deceiving the people who worshipped it.

Lowing / To moo in the Quran (2)

Meccan: 2 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-A'raf 1

Ta-Ha 1

Surah Al-A'raf : 148 Meccan

﴿وَٱتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَىٰ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلًۭا جَسَدًۭا لَّهُۥ خُوَارٌ ۚ أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّهُۥ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلًا ۘ ٱتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُوا۟ ظَـٰلِمِينَ﴾

And the people of Moses made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it [for worship], and they were wrongdoers.

Surah Ta-Ha : 88 Meccan

﴿فَأَخْرَجَ لَهُمْ عِجْلًۭا جَسَدًۭا لَّهُۥ خُوَارٌۭ فَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ وَإِلَـٰهُ مُوسَىٰ فَنَسِىَ﴾

And he extracted for them [the statue of] a calf which had a lowing sound, and they said, "This is your god and the god of Moses, but he forgot."