The Divine Revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ through the ringing of bells and angelic visits

that al-Ḥārith b. Hishām ؓ asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah of Allah, how does the Waḥī (Revelation) come to you?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "(1) Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell: and this form is the hardest upon me and then ˹this state˺ is lifted off of me after I have grasped what is inspired. And (2) sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says."

ʿĀʾishah added: "I saw the Waḥī being revealed upon him on an extremely cold day and then ˹the state˺ was lifted from him and his forehead was dripping with sweat."  

أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ ؓ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْىُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «(١) أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ: وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَىَّ فَيُفْصَمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ عَنْهُ مَا قَالَ، (٢) وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلاً فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ۔»

قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ؓ: وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْىُ فِي الْيَوْمِ الشَّدِيدِ الْبَرْدِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّ جَبِينَهُ لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا۔