Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:25303ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿĀʾishah

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ asked a man, "How does revelation come to you, O Prophet of Allah?" He replied, "Revelation sometimes comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and then it goes away from me. And when it leaves me, it is the most difficult for me. Sometimes it comes to me in the form of a man or an angel, who informs me of what he says."  

أحمد:٢٥٣٠٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ؟ قَالَ يَأْتِينِي أَحْيَانًا لَهُ صَلْصَلَةٌ كَصَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ فَيَنْفَصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ وَذَلِكَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ وَيَأْتِينِي أَحْيَانًا فِيصُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ أَوْ قَالَ الْمَلَكِ فَيُخْبِرُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Suyūṭī
muslim:2333b[Chain 1] Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah [Chain 2] Abū Kurayb > Abū Usāmah And Ibn Bishr > Hishām [Chain 3] Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr > Muḥammad b. Bishr > Hishām from his father > ʿĀʾishah

How does the the wahi (inspiration) come to you? He said: At times it comes to me like the ringing of a bell and that is most severe for me and when it is over I retain that (what I had received in the form of wahi), and at times an Angel in the form of a human being comes to me (and speaks) and I retain whatever he speaks.  

مسلم:٢٣٣٣bحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ وَابْنُ بِشْرٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ هِشَامٍ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْىُ فَقَالَ أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَىَّ ثُمَّ يَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُهُ وَأَحْيَانًا مَلَكٌ فِي مِثْلِ صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ  

ahmad:25252Muḥammad b. Bishr > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿĀʾishah

How does the the wahi (inspiration) come to you? He said: At times it comes to me like the ringing of a bell and that is most severe for me and when it is over I retain that (what I had received in the form of wahi), and at times an Angel in the form of a human being comes to me (and speaks) and I retain whatever he speaks. (Using translation from Muslim 2333b)  

أحمد:٢٥٢٥٢حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ؟ قَالَ أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ ثُمَّ يُفْصَمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ وَأَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي مَلَكٌ فِي مِثْلِ صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ  

tabarani:3344Muḥammad b. Naṣr b. Ḥumayd al-Baghdādī > Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Urzī > ʿĀṣim b. Hilāl > Ayyūb > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > al-Ḥārith b. Hishām

[Machine] I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , "How does the revelation come to you?" He said, "The revelation comes to me like the ringing of a bell, sometimes it comes to me in the form of a man who speaks to me, and it is easier for me to understand."  

الطبراني:٣٣٤٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ نَصْرِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْأُرْزِيُّ ثنا عَاصِمُ بْنُ هِلَالٍ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ؟ قَالَ يَأْتِينِي صَلْصَلَةً كَصَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَيَأْتِينِي أَحْيَانًا فِي صُورَةِ رَجُلٍ يُكَلِّمُنِي كَلَامًا وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيَّ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ  

tabarani:3346Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥaḍramī > al-Ḥusayn b. Yazīd al-Ṭaḥḥān > ʿAbdah b. Sulaymān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿĀʾishah

[Machine] Al-Harith ibn Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ how revelation comes to him. He said, "Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and it becomes faint to me even though I comprehend it. Other times, it comes to me in the form of an angel appearing as a man, and I understand what he says."  

الطبراني:٣٣٤٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ ثنا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الطَّحَّانُ ثنا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

سَأَلَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيهِ الْوَحْيُ قَالَ «يَأْتِينِي أَحْيَانًا مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّ عَلَيَّ وَيَأْتِينِي أَحْيَانًا الْمَلَكُ فِي صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ»  

suyuti:230-3bHishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > al-Ḥārith b. Hishām
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السيوطي:٢٣٠-٣b

"عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ

رَسُولَ الله ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأتِيكَ الْوَحْىُ؟ فَقَالَ: أَحْيَانًا يَأتِينِى فِى مِثْلِ صَلْصَلِ الْجَرَسِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّى وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ مَا قَالَ، وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَىَّ، وَأَحْيَانًا يَأتِينِى الْمَلَكُ فَيَتَمَثَّلُ لِىَ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِى، وَأَعِى مَا يَقُولُ".  

أبو نعيم