When revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a sound could be heard at his face—like the humming of bees. The remainder of the report states that this occurred at the revelation of: “Successful indeed are the believers” (1) [al-Muʾminūn 23:1].

Al-Tirmidhī and al-Nasāʾī likewise transmitted it (1) through the chain of ʿAbd al-Razzaq. Al-Nasāʾī then remarked, “It is an isolated report (munkar); we know of no one who narrated it except Yūnus ibn Sulaym, and we do not know who he is.”

Muslim and others (2) relate, through al-Ḥasan, from Ḥiṭṭān ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Raqāshī, from ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit who said: “When revelation came down upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ he would be seized with anguish and his face would turn pale—in another wording: and he would close his eyes—and we recognized that state in him.”

In the two Ṣaḥīḥs (3) is the ḥadīth of Zayd ibn Thābit concerning the verse, “Those believers who remain seated are not equal…” [when Ibn Umm Maktūm complained of his blindness, the words] (4) “except those who have injuries” were revealed. He said: “The thigh of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was resting on my thigh while I was writing; when the revelation descended his thigh nearly crushed mine.”

Muslim also records (5) through Hammām ibn Yaḥyā, from ʿAṭāʾ, from Yaʿlā ibn Umayyah who said: “ʿUmar once said to me, ‘Would you like to look at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while revelation is being sent to him?’ He lifted the edge of the cloth from his face while revelation was coming to him at al-Jiʿrānah (6). His face was flushed red and he was snorting like a camel (7).”

Both Ṣaḥīḥs likewise report (8) in the ḥadīth of ʿĀʾishah, regarding the revelation of the verse of veiling, that Sawdah later went out to the open lavatories (9) at night. ʿUmar said, “We have recognized you, Sawdah.” She returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and asked him about it while he was sitting and taking his supper