Praise be to Allah (The Glorified and Exalted).
The Revelation:
The Qur’an and the Sunnah (Prophet’s teachings and example) are both wahy (revelation) that were Divinely inspired by Allah (The Exalted). This is stated in the following hadith:
al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karib al-Kindi said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I have been given the Book [Qur’an] and something similar along with it [i.e. the Sunnah].”
[Abu Dawud no. 4604; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abu Dawud]
The Inspiration came in three various forms. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would be inspired by true dreams. He would receive revelation from Jabriel (Gabriel) (peace be upon him), and the revelation would also descend upon him accompanied by a ringing noise that was said to sound like the ringing of a bell. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had mentioned that the most difficult form of Divine Inspirtation to bear was that which was accompanied by the bell. When the revelation would descend in this third form, the Prophet’s face would turn red, he would breath heavily, his body would become heavy, and sweat would perspire profusely from his forehead, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. This is stated in the following hadith:
Narrated ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
The commencement (of the Divine Inspiration) to Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was in the form of true dreams in his sleep, for he never had a dream, but it turned out to be true and clear as the bright daylight. [Bukhari: Book 6: Volume 60: Hadith 478]
Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
That al-Harith ibn Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “How does the revelation come to you?” And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest for me, and when it leaves me, I remember what it has said. And sometimes the angel [Jabriel] appears to me in the likeness of a man and talks to me and I remember what he says.” ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) added, “I saw it [revelation] coming down on him on an intensely cold day, and when it had left him his forehead was dripping with sweat.” [Malik: Book 15: Hadith 15.4.7]
Safwan b. Ya’la b. Umayya reported:
That Ya’la used to say to ‘Umar b. Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), “Would that I see revelation descending upon the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)”…-[in another situation, Ya’la was present when a questioner asked of something from the prophet, and revelation came to him]- The Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at him [the questioner] for a short while, and then became quiet, and revelation began descending upon him, and ‘Umar gestured (with his hand) to Ya’la b. Umayya to come. Ya’la came and he entered his head (beneath the cloth [over the head of the Prophet] and saw) the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with his face red, and breathing with a snore [i.e. heavily]. Then he [the Prophet] felt relieved (of that burden)…” [Muslim: Book 7: Hadith 2656]
Narrated Sahl bin Sad As-Sa’idi:
…So Allah sent down revelation to His Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) while his thigh was on mine and it [the Prophet’s thigh] became so heavy for me that I feared that my thigh would be broken. [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 52: Hadith 85]
And Allah Knows Best.
The Revelation:
The Qur’an and the Sunnah (Prophet’s teachings and example) are both wahy (revelation) that were Divinely inspired by Allah (The Exalted). This is stated in the following hadith:
al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karib al-Kindi said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I have been given the Book [Qur’an] and something similar along with it [i.e. the Sunnah].”
[Abu Dawud no. 4604; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abu Dawud]
The Inspiration came in three various forms. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would be inspired by true dreams. He would receive revelation from Jabriel (Gabriel) (peace be upon him), and the revelation would also descend upon him accompanied by a ringing noise that was said to sound like the ringing of a bell. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had mentioned that the most difficult form of Divine Inspirtation to bear was that which was accompanied by the bell. When the revelation would descend in this third form, the Prophet’s face would turn red, he would breath heavily, his body would become heavy, and sweat would perspire profusely from his forehead, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. This is stated in the following hadith:
Narrated ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
The commencement (of the Divine Inspiration) to Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was in the form of true dreams in his sleep, for he never had a dream, but it turned out to be true and clear as the bright daylight. [Bukhari: Book 6: Volume 60: Hadith 478]
Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
That al-Harith ibn Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “How does the revelation come to you?” And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest for me, and when it leaves me, I remember what it has said. And sometimes the angel [Jabriel] appears to me in the likeness of a man and talks to me and I remember what he says.” ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) added, “I saw it [revelation] coming down on him on an intensely cold day, and when it had left him his forehead was dripping with sweat.” [Malik: Book 15: Hadith 15.4.7]
Safwan b. Ya’la b. Umayya reported:
That Ya’la used to say to ‘Umar b. Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), “Would that I see revelation descending upon the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)”…-[in another situation, Ya’la was present when a questioner asked of something from the prophet, and revelation came to him]- The Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at him [the questioner] for a short while, and then became quiet, and revelation began descending upon him, and ‘Umar gestured (with his hand) to Ya’la b. Umayya to come. Ya’la came and he entered his head (beneath the cloth [over the head of the Prophet] and saw) the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with his face red, and breathing with a snore [i.e. heavily]. Then he [the Prophet] felt relieved (of that burden)…” [Muslim: Book 7: Hadith 2656]
Narrated Sahl bin Sad As-Sa’idi:
…So Allah sent down revelation to His Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) while his thigh was on mine and it [the Prophet’s thigh] became so heavy for me that I feared that my thigh would be broken. [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 52: Hadith 85]
And Allah Knows Best.