Have you ever wondered what it felt like when revelation descended upon our beloved Prophet ﷺ?
Think about it for a moment: the very words we read in the Quran—and the guidance we learn from the Sunnah and ahadith—were once entirely unknown to humanity, then revealed to a single man chosen by Allah.
How did he experience those sacred moments? Was it peaceful or intense? Did he remain calm, or was the physical strain visible to those around him?
In this blog post, we’ll explore a fascinating and often overlooked dimension of Islamic history: Kayfiyyah al-Wahiy, which translates to “the manner or condition in which revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ.”
Everything you read here is based on one of the Tafseer lessons taught by Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan at AMAU Academy.
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Now, let’s dive back into our topic.
Setting the Stage: Harith ibn Hisham’s Burning Question
Our journey begins with a straightforward inquiry.
According to a narration relayed by the Mother of the believers, Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), a companion named al-Harith ibn Hisham asked the Prophet ﷺ a question that many people at the time, and even people today, would have if we were in his presence. He asked:
"يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْىُ؟"
'O Messenger of Allah, how does the Revelation come to you?'
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
" أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ ـ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَىَّ ـ فَيُفْصَمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ عَنْهُ مَا قَالَ، وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلاً فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ "
"Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says." (Sahih al-Bukhari 2)
Just from this, we see that divine revelation wasn’t a monotonous experience. It varied in intensity and form, each with its own noteworthy details.
First Manner: Like the Ringing of a Bell
"أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي مِثْلَ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ"
“Sometimes, it comes to me like the ringing of a bell.”
The Prophet ﷺ described this as the hardest form of revelation. Imagine hearing a loud, continuous ringing—similar to a bell’s peal—yet far more profound and spiritually charged. This auditory event would fill his senses.
He ﷺ noted that after this overwhelming phenomenon subsided, he would be left with the exact divine message etched into his memory.
Why was it so difficult? Physically, he felt intense pressure. Those around him, such as Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), testified to its impact. She mentioned a cold day in which the Prophet ﷺ was still sweating profusely due to the intensity of receiving revelation.
Hardship and Physical Manifestations
The idea that revelation was difficult on the Prophet ﷺ also appears in Quranic context. Consider the verse:
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ. إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ
Move not your tongue with it, [O Muḥammad], to hasten with it [i.e., recitation of the Qurān]. Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation. (Al-Qiyamah 16-17)
In an explanation offered by ‘Abdullah ibn Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), the Prophet ﷺ was initially eager to memorise every word the moment it arrived. This eagerness caused him to move his lips quickly and repeatedly. The revelation itself was so weighty—both spiritually and physically—that the Prophet ﷺ strained to catch and retain it fully. Allah reassured him through this verse: “Move not your tongue with it, [O Muḥammad], to hasten with it [i.e., recitation of the Qurān]. Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation.”
Such narrations communicate two key insights. One, that revelation was not an easy experience, but rather a monumental event requiring immense resilience and focus. Two, that Allah directly took responsibility for ensuring the Prophet ﷺ could preserve and correctly transmit the revelation.
Second Manner: The Angel in Human Form
Next, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that Jibreel (Peace be upon him)—the angel entrusted with delivering revelation—would sometimes appear to him in the form of a man:
"وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلاً فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ"
“Sometimes the angel will come in the form of a man and speak to me, and I understand what he says.”
When revelation arrived in this manner, it was gentler on the Prophet ﷺ. Instead of a loud, ringing sound, it was a simple, direct conversation. Jibreel would deliver the message in a clearly understandable language. The Prophet ﷺ would listen, absorb every word, and upon the angel’s departure, he would convey that guidance to the companions with precision.
This is a fascinating distinction: the same heavenly message, but two very different modes of arrival. Yet in both scenarios, we see the result is the same—flawless preservation and communication of divine revelation.
Beyond Quranic Verses: Fiqh-Related Revelation
Interestingly, the revelation did not always pertain to Quranic verses alone. Sometimes, a direct answer to a fiqh (jurisprudential) question might come down in real-time.
One noteworthy incident involves Safwān ibn Ya‘lā from his father. It is as follows:
أَنَّ رَجُلاً، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ بِالْجِعْرَانَةِ وَعَلَيْهِ جُبَّةٌ وَعَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ الْخَلُوقِ أَوْ قَالَ صُفْرَةٍ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ تَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أَصْنَعَ فِي عُمْرَتِي فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَسُتِرَ بِثَوْبٍ وَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الْوَحْىُ. فَقَالَ عُمَرُ تَعَالَ أَيَسُرُّكَ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ الْوَحْىَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ. فَرَفَعَ طَرَفَ الثَّوْبِ، فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ لَهُ غَطِيطٌ وَأَحْسِبُهُ قَالَ كَغَطِيطِ الْبَكْرِ. فَلَمَّا سُرِّيَ عَنْهُ قَالَ " أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ عَنِ الْعُمْرَةِ اخْلَعْ عَنْكَ الْجُبَّةَ وَاغْسِلْ أَثَرَ الْخَلُوقِ عَنْكَ، وَأَنْقِ الصُّفْرَةَ، وَاصْنَعْ فِي عُمْرَتِكَ كَمَا تَصْنَعُ فِي حَجِّكِ ".
"A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was at Ji'rana. The man was wearing a cloak which had traces of Khaluq or Sufra (a kind of perfume).
The man asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'What do you order me to perform in my `Umra?'
So, Allah inspired the Prophet (ﷺ) divinely and he was screened by a place of cloth.
I wished to see the Prophet (ﷺ) being divinely inspired.
`Umar said to me, 'Come! Will you be pleased to look at the Prophet (ﷺ) while Allah is inspiring him?' I replied in the affirmative.
`Umar lifted one corner of the cloth and I looked at the Prophet (ﷺ) who was snoring.
(The sub-narrator thought that he said: The snoring was like that of a camel).
When that state was over, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "Where is the questioner who asked about `Umra? Put off your cloak and wash away the traces of Khaluq from your body and clean the Sufra (yellow color) and perform in your Umra what you perform in your Hajj (i.e. the Tawaf round the Ka`ba and the Sa`i between Safa and Marwa). " (Sahih al-Bukhari 1789)
A Rare Glimpse: Revelation While Napping
So far, we have discussed intense experiences—sweating on cold days, hearing loud, bell-like ringing, and having direct conversations with an angel. Yet there is another dimension.
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) recounted a moment when revelation came to the Prophet ﷺ in a more serene, almost lighthearted context.
The hadith is as follows:
أَغْفَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِغْفَاءَةً فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مُتَبَسِّمًا، فَإِمَّا قَالَ لَهُمْ وَإِمَّا قَالُوا لَهُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لِمَ ضَحِكْتَ فَقَالَ : " إِنَّهُ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَىَّ آنِفًا سُورَةٌ " . فَقَرَأَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ {إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ} حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) dozed for a short while and raised his head smiling. He either said to them (people) or they said to him: Messenger of Allah! Why did you laugh?
He said: A surah has been revealed to me just now, and then he recited: “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious. Most Merciful. To thee We have granted the fount (of abundance)” up to the end. (Sunan Abi Dawud 4747)
He ﷺ then engaged the companions in a brief teaching moment, asking if they knew what al-Kawthar was—highlighting that even the style of revelation could be more relaxed, with no outward signs of strenuous effort.
The Companions’ Curiosity and Respect
One thing that consistently appears in these narrations is the role of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). They were deeply curious about how revelation worked. After all, it was a lifeline for their entire faith, the direct link between heaven and earth.
- Harith ibn Hisham famously asked, “How does revelation come to you?”—a question that many believers have pondered.
- In another instance, a companion expressed a desire to peek under the cloak while revelation was descending, so he could observe the Prophet ﷺ in that moment of communication. Yet they always maintained a profound respect for the boundaries the Prophet ﷺ established.
For instance, we see how ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would often act to cover the Prophet ﷺ whenever revelation came in a public setting—partly for the Prophet’s comfort and partly to ensure that the moment remained undisturbed. Once the Prophet ﷺ was ready to address the question, he would do so with clarity.
Reflecting on the Weight of Revelation
From these reports, one can’t help but feel awed. The Prophet ﷺ bore an enormous responsibility in receiving, preserving, and teaching a message that would guide generations. This was not a passive or purely spiritual phenomenon; it involved his mind, body, and soul. The sweat, the heavy breathing, the urgent movement of his lips, and even the occasional calm moments of revelation during a nap—all of these reflect the multi-faceted nature of receiving the Word of Allah.
This weightiness also highlights a vital lesson for all of us: the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah are not ordinary texts or casual teachings. They are a sacred trust, delivered through a process we can scarcely imagine and that demanded immense sacrifice.
Conclusion: Reverence for the Process and the Message
It’s clear that “Kayfiyyah Al-Wahiy” is not a mere historical footnote—it’s a window into the lived reality of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. These glimpses help us grasp how the Quran and Sunnah came to be preserved in our hands today. From intense physical manifestations to the occasional gentle arrival of verses in a dream-like state, every instance underscores that revelation was no trivial matter.
Above all, this exploration calls us to appreciate the tremendous blessing of having divine guidance so readily accessible—guidance that cost the Prophet ﷺ sleepless nights, weighty moments of profound concentration, and physical exhaustion. Each verse, each hadith, carries within it the echoes of an unparalleled spiritual encounter.
May these reflections increase our love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and our commitment to study and live by the Quran and the Prophetic teachings as they were understood and transmitted by the Salaf.
