"Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: 'How does the Revelation come to you?' He said: 'Like the ringing of a bell, and when it departs I remember what he (the Angel) said, and this is the hardest on me. And sometimes he (the Angel) comes to me in the form of a man and gives it to me.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 933)  

سَأَلَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ؟ قَالَ فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعِيتُ عَنْهُ مَا قَالَ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ وَأَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صُورَةِ الْفَتَى فَيَنْبِذُهُ إِلَيَّ  

that al-Ḥārith b. Hishām ؓ asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah of Allah, how does the Waḥī (Divine Inspiration) 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." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2)  

أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْيُ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَيَّ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعِيتُ مَا قَالَ وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلًا فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ» قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الشَّدِيدِ الْبَرْدِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّ جَبِينَهُ لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا  

Concerning the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: "Move not your tongue concerning to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it- "The Prophet ﷺ used to suffer a great deal of hardship when the Revelation came to him, and he used to move his lips. Allah said: Move not your tongue concerning to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it." He said: " (This means) He will gather it in your heart, then you will recite it," And when We have recited it to you, then follow the recitation. He said: "So listen to it and remain silent. So when Jibril came to him, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ listened, and when he left, he would recite it as he had taught him." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 935)  

فِي قَوْلِهِ {لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ} [القيامة 16] قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «يُعَالِجُ مِنَ التَّنْزِيلِ شِدَّةً كَانَ يُحَرِّكُ شَفَتَيْهِ» قَالَ اللهُ {لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمَعَهُ} [القيامة 17] وَقُرْآنَهُ قَالَ جَمْعُهُ فِي صَدْرِكَ ثُمَّ تَقْرَؤُهُ {فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ} [القيامة 18] قَالَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لَهُ وَأَنْصِتْ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِذَا أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ اسْتَمَعَ فَإِذَا انْطَلَقَ قَرَأَهُ كَمَا أَقْرَأَهُ»  

Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting: Surat Al-Furqan, in a way that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ had not taught me. I said: 'Who taught you this Surah?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' I said: 'You are lying; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not teach you like that. 'I took him by the hand and brought him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you taught me Surat Al-Furqan, but I heard this man reciting it in a way that you did not teach me.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Recite, O Hisham.' So he recited it as he had recited it (before). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'It was revealed like this.' Then he said: 'Recite, O Umar.' So I recited it, and he said: 'It was revealed like this.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The Quran was revealed to be recited in seven different modes.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 936)   

أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ فَقَرَأَ فِيهَا حُرُوفًا لَمْ يَكُنْ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا قُلْتُ مَنْ أَقْرَأَكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ؟ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ كَذَبْتُ مَا كَذَلِكَ أَقْرَأَكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهِ أَقُودُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّكَ أَقْرَأْتَنِي سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ فِيهَا حُرُوفًا لَمْ تَكُنْ أَقْرَأْتَنِيهَا؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «اقْرَأْ يَا هِشَامُ» فَقَرَأَ كَمَا كَانَ قَرَأَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «اقْرَأْ يَا عُمَرُ» فَقَرَأْتُ فَقَالَ «هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ  

I heard Hisham b. Hakim (b. Hizam) reciting Surah al-Furqan in a different manner from my way of reciting, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had taught me to recite it. I nearly spoke sharply to him, but I delayed till he had finished. Then I caught his cloak at the neck, and I brought him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I said: Messenger of Allah, I heard this man reciting Surah al-Furqan in a manner different from that in which you taught me to recite it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ the told him to recite it. He then recited in the manner I heard him recite. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Thus was it sent down. He then said to me: Recite, I recited (it). He then said: Thus was it sent down. He said: The Qur'an was sent down in seven modes of reading, so recite according to what comes most easily. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1475)  

سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمٍ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَقْرَؤُهَا عَلَيْهِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا فَكِدْتُ أَعْجَلُ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَمْهَلْتُهُ حَتَّى انْصَرَفَ ثُمَّ لَبَّبْتُهُ بِرِدَائِهِ فَجِئْتُ بِهِ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَقْرَأْتَنِيهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «اقْرَأْ» فَقَرَأَ الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقْرَأُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي «اقْرَأْ» فَقَرَأْتُ فَقَالَ «هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلِ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ»  

I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat-al-Furqan during the lifetime of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and I listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited it in several ways which Messenger of Allah ﷺ had not taught me. So I was on the point of attacking him in the prayer, but I waited till he finished his prayer, and then I seized him by the collar and said, "Who taught you this Surah which I have heard you reciting?" He replied, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught it to me." I said, "You are telling a lie; By Allah! Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me (in a different way) this very Surah which I have heard you reciting." So I took him, leading him to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I heard this person reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way that you did not teach me, and you have taught me Surat-al-Furqan." The Prophet said, "O Hisham, recite!" So he recited in the same way as I heard him recite it before. On that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "It was revealed to be recited in this way." Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Recite, O ʿUmar!" So I recited it as he had taught me. Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said, "It was revealed to be recited in this way." Allah" Apostle added, "The Qur'an has been revealed to be recited in several different ways, so recite of it that which is easier for you." (Using translation from Bukhārī 5041)  

سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمِ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَاسْتَمَعْتُ لِقِرَاءَتِهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَقْرَأُ عَلَى حُرُوفٍ كَثِيرَةٍ لَمْ يُقْرِئْنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَكِدْتُ أُسَاوِرُهُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَتَصَبَّرْتُ حَتَّى سَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ لَبَّبْتُهُ بِرِدَائِهِ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أَقْرَأَكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُكَ تَقْرَؤُهَا؟ قَالَ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ كَذَبْتَ فَوَاللهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ لَهُوَ أَقْرَأَنِي هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُكَ تَقْرَؤُهَا فَانْطَلَقْتُ بِهِ أَقُودُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى حُرُوفٍ لَمْ تُقْرِئْنِيهَا وَأَنْتَ أَقْرَأْتَنِي سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَرْسِلْهُ يَا عُمَرُ اقْرَأْ يَا هِشَامُ» فَقَرَأَ عَلَيْهِ الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقْرَؤُهَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «اقْرَأْ يَا عُمَرُ» فَقَرَأْتُ الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي أَقْرَأَنِي قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ»  

Allah has commanded you to recite to your people the Qur'an in one dialect. Upon this he said: I ask from Allah pardon and forgiveness. My people are not capable of doing it. He then came for the second time and said: Allah has commanded you that you should recite the Qur'an to your people in two dialects. Upon this he (the Holy prophet) again said: I seek pardon and forgiveness from Allah, my people would not be able to do so. He (Gabriel) came for the third time and said: Allah has commanded you to recite the Qur'an to your people in three dialects. Upon this he said: I ask pardon and forgiveness from Allah. My people would not be able to do it. He then came to him for the fourth time and said: Allah has commanded you to recite the Qur'an to your people in seven dialects, and in whichever dialect they would recite, they would be right. (Using translation from Muslim 821a)  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ عِنْدَ أَضَاةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ قَالَ «أَسْأَلُ اللهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ» ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ قَالَ «أَسْأَلُ اللهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ» ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ «أَسْأَلُ اللهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ فَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ» ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ الرَّابِعَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ «اللهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَأَيُّمَا حَرْفٍ قَرَءُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَصَابُوا» قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَنْصُورٌ خَالَفَ الْحَكَمَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ رَوَاهُ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ مُرْسَلًا  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me a surah, and when I was sitting in the masjid I heard a man reciting it in a way that was different from mine. I said to him: 'Who taught you this surah?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' I said: 'Stay with me until we go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' So we came to him and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, this man recites a surah that you taught me differently.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Recite, O Ubayy.' So I recited it, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: 'You have done well.' Then he said to the man: 'Recite.' So he recited it and it was different to my recitation. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: 'You have done well.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'O Ubayy, the Quran has been revealed with seven different modes of reciation, all of which are good and sound." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 940)  

أَقْرَأَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ سُورَةً فَبَيْنَا أَنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ جَالِسٌ إِذْ سَمِعْتُ رَجُلًا يَقْرَؤُهَا يُخَالِفُ قِرَاءَتِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَنْ عَلَّمَكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لَا تُفَارِقْنِي حَتَّى نَأْتِي رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ هَذَا خَالَفَ قِرَاءَتِي فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي عَلَّمْتَنِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «اقْرَأْ يَا أُبَيُّ» فَقَرَأْتُهَا فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَحْسَنْتَ» ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ «اقْرَأْ» فَخَالَفَ قِرَاءَتِي فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَحْسَنْتَ» ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يَا أُبَيُّ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ كُلِّهِنَّ شَافٍ كَافٍ» قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَعْقِلُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ لَيْسَ بذَاكَ الْقَوِيِّ  

"I had no confusion in my mind from that time I embraced Islam, except when I recited a verse and another man recited it differently. I said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me this.' And the other man said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me too.' So I went to the Prophet ﷺ and said: 'O Prophet of Allah, did you not teach me such and such a verse?' He said: 'Yes.' The other man said: 'Did you not teach me such and such a verse?' He said: 'Yes. Jibril and Mika'il, peace be upon them, came to me, and Jibril sat on my right and Mika'il on my left. Jibril, peace be upon him, said: "Recite the Quran with one way of recitation.' Mika'il said: 'Teach him more, teach him more- until there were seven modes of recitation, each of which is good and sound.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 941)  

مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِي مُنْذُ أَسْلَمْتُ إِلَّا أَنِّي قَرَأْتُ آيَةً وَقَرَأَهَا آخَرُ غَيْرَ قِرَاءَتِي فَقُلْتُ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَقْرَأْتَنِي آيَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ أَلَمْ تُقْرِئْنِي آيَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ إِنَّ» جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ أَتَيَانِي فَقَعَدَ جِبْرِيلُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَمِيكَائِيلُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَقَالَ جِبْرِيلُ اقْرَأِ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَقَالَ مِيكَائِيلُ بَلِ اسْتَزِدْهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ فَكُلُّ حَرْفٍ شَافٍ كَافٍ  

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The example of the person who knows the Qur'an by heart is like the owner of tied camels. If he keeps them tied, he will control them, but if he releases them, they will run away." (Using translation from Bukhārī 5031)  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «مَثَلُ صَاحِبِ الْقُرْآنِ كَمَثَلِ صَاحِبِ الْإِبِلِ الْمُعَقَّلَةِ إِنَّ عَاهَدَ عَلَيْهَا أَمْسَكَهَا وَإِنْ أَطْلَقَهَا ذَهَبَتْ»  

The Prophet ﷺ said: "It is not right for any one of you to say: 'I have forgotten such and such a verse.' Rather, he has been caused to forget. Study the Qur'an, for it escapes from the heart of man faster than a camel escapes from its fetter. " (Using translation from Nasāʾī 943)  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ بِئْسَمَا لَأَحَدِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَسْرَعَ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهِ