Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest for me. When it leaves me I remember what it has said. And sometimes the angel appears to me in the shape of a man, he talks to me, and I understand what he says

عن عائشة أُمِّ المؤمنين رضي الله عنها أنَّ الحارثَ بن هشام رضي الله عنه سأل رسولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: يا رسولَ الله، كيف يأْتِيكَ الوَحْيُ؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : «أحْيانًا يَأْتِيني مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَة الجَرَس، وهو أَشدُّه عليَّ، فيَفْصِمُ عنِّي وقد وَعَيْتُ عنه ما قال، وأحيانًا يتمثَّلُ لي المَلَكُ رَجُلًا فيُكَلِّمُني فأَعِي ما يقول». قالت عائشة رضي الله عنها : ولقد رأيتُه ينزِل عليه الوَحْيُ في اليومِ الشديدِ البرْدِ، فيَفْصِمُ عنه وإنَّ جَبِينَه لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا.

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Al-Hārith ibn Hishām (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah, how does the revelation come to you?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest for me. When it leaves me I remember what it has said. And sometimes the angel appears to me in the shape of a man, he talks to me, and I understand what he says." ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I saw him when the revelation was descending upon him on a very cold day. When it had left him, his forehead was dripping with sweat."

Source · Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).