Ibn Abbas reported that the jinn used to ascend to the heavens to eavesdrop on the revelation. Whenever they heard a word, they would add nine more to it. The original word would be true, but what they added to it would be false. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent, they were prevented from taking their listening posts. They mentioned this to Iblis, for stars had not been used as missiles against them before that.Iblis said to them, "This can only be due to something that has happened on earth."So he dispatched his troops, and they found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ standing in prayer between two mountains, I think he said, in Makkah. They came back to Iblis and informed him, and he said, "This is what has happened on earth."
كان الجن يصعدون إلى السماء يسمعون الوحي، فإذا سمعوا الكلمة زادوا فيها تسعا، فأما الكلمة فتكون حقا، وأما ما زاد فيكون باطلا، فلما بعث رسول الله ﷺ منعوا مقاعدهم، فذكروا ذلك لإبليس، ولم تكن النجوم يرمى بها قبل ذلك، فقال لهم إبليس: ما هذا إلا من امر قد حدث في أرض، فبعث جنوده، فوجدوا رسول الله ﷺ قائما يصلي بين جبلين- أراه قال- بمكة، فأتوه، فأخبروه، فقال: هذا الذي حدث في الأرض.
Ahmad (1/274), Tirmidhi (3324) with this wording, and Nasai in Kubra (11562) all narrated it through various chains from Israil bin Yunus bin Abu Ishaq, who said, Abu Ishaq narrated to us, from Saeed bin Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, who said, and he mentioned it. Its isnad is sahih. Tirmidhi said, "This is a hasan sahih hadith."