1410 — Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ya‘qub informed us. He said: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hatim informed us. It was read to Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la: Ibn Wahb informed us that Malik related to him, from Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, from his father, from Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, that al-Harith ibn Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, “O Messenger of Allah, how does Revelation come to you?”

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied: “At times it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest upon me. Then it leaves me, and I have retained what was conveyed.” He said: “And at times the angel appears to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I retain what he says.”

Aisha said: “I saw it descend upon him on a bitterly cold day; then it would leave him, while sweat poured from his forehead.” Al-Bukhari and Muslim both transmitted it.