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