Revelational Circumstances of the Qur'an: Surah 53 (An-Najm)

Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet performed a prostration when he finished reciting Surat-an-Najm, and all the Muslims and pagans and Jinns and human beings prostrated along with him.

8. Then he drew nigh and came down
9. Till he was (distant) two bows' length or even nearer,
10. And He revealed unto His slave that which He revealed.

Narrated Masruq
I asked Aisha "What about His Statement:-- "Then he (Gabriel) approached And came closer, And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer?" (53.8-9) She replied, "It was Gabriel who used to come to the Prophet in the figure of a man, but on that occasion, he came in his actual and real figure and (he was so huge) that he covered the whole horizon."

Narrated Abu Ishaq-Ash-Shaibani
I asked Zir bin Hubaish regarding the Statement of Allah: "And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer; So did (Allah) convey The Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) and then he (Gabriel) Conveyed (that to Muhammad). (53.9-10) On that, Zir said, "Ibn Mas'ud informed us that the Prophet had seen Gabriel having 600 wings."

Verily he saw one of the greater revelations of his Lord.

Narrated Abdullah
Regarding the Verse: "Indeed he (Muhammad) did see. Of the Signs of his Lord, The Greatest!" (53.18) That the Prophet had seen a green carpet spread all over the horizon of the sky.