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)  

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  

[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."  

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  

[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."  

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»