that Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Prophet (ﷺ): 'How does the Revelation come to you?' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell and that is the hardest upon me, and sometimes the angel will appear to me like a man, and he will speak to me such that I understand what he says.'" 'Aishah said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while the Revelation was descending upon him on an extremely cold day. Then it ceased and his forehead was flooded with sweat."
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى الأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنُ بْنُ عِيسَى، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ، سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْىُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّ عَلَىَّ وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِي الْمَلَكُ رَجُلاً فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ . قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْىُ فِي الْيَوْمِ الشَّدِيدِ الْبَرْدِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّ جَبِينَهُ لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Tirmizi
Chapters on Virtues • Hadith 3858