Sahih Muslim

Sahih Muslim 177d

Arabic hadith text

وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَشْوَعَ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ فَأَيْنَ قَوْلُهُ ‏‏{‏ ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى * فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى * فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى‏}‏ قَالَتْ إِنَّمَا ذَاكَ جِبْرِيلُ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ فِي صُورَةِ الرِّجَالِ وَإِنَّهُ أَتَاهُ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةِ فِي صُورَتِهِ الَّتِي هِيَ صُورَتُهُ فَسَدَّ أُفُقَ السَّمَاءِ ‏.‏

Translation

Ibn Numayr narrated to us: Abu Usama narrated to us: Zakariyya narrated to us, from Ibn Ashwa‘, from ‘Amir, from Masruq, who said: I asked ‘A’isha, ‘Then what about His words: “Then he drew near and came down, until he was two bow-lengths away, or nearer; then He revealed to His servant what He revealed”?’ She said: ‘That was Gabriel. He used to come to him in the form of a man, but on this occasion he came to him in his own form and filled the horizon of the sky.’