Tirmidhi Book 49, Hadith 3634

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاق بْنُ مُوسَى الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏ يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلًا،‏‏‏‏ فَيُكَلِّمُنِي،‏‏‏‏ فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ ،‏‏‏‏ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ:‏‏‏‏ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْيُ فِي الْيَوْمِ ذِي الْبَرْدِ الشَّدِيدِ،‏‏‏‏ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنْهُ،‏‏‏‏ وَإِنَّ جَبِينَهُ لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.

Narrated 'Aishah: 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.