They descended upon the Prophet ﷺ while he was reciting the Quran in the valley of Nakhlah. When they heard him, they said to one another, "Listen attentively." They said, "Be silent." They were nine in number, one of them being Zawbaah. Then Allah revealed, "And recall when We directed to you a group of the jinn who listened to the Quran. When they were present at its recitation, they said, 'Listen attentively'" until "clear error" [Ahqaf 46:29–32].
هبطوا على النبي ﷺ وهو يقرأ القرآن ببطن نخلة فلما سمعوه قالوا: انصتوا قالوا: صه وكانوا تسعة أحدهم زوبعة فأنزل الله عز وجل: {وإذ صرفنا إليك نفرا من الجن يستمعون القرءان فلما حضروه قالوا أنصتوا} الآية إلى {ضلال مبين}. [سورة الأحقاف: ٢٩-٣٢].
Recorded by Hakim (2/456) from Abu Ali Hafiz, who reported that Abdan Ahwazi informed them, who said Abu Bakr bin Abu Shayba narrated to them, who said Abu Ahmad Zubayri narrated to them, who said Sufyan narrated to them, from Asim, from Zirr, from Abdullah, who mentioned it. Its chain of transmission is hasan because of Asim, who is Ibn Bahdala. Hakim said, "Its chain of transmission is sahih."I say, the reports differ regarding the number of these jinn, ranging from four to twelve thousand. Ibn Kathir took this difference as evidence that they came to the Prophet ﷺ on more than one occasion. See tafsir of Ibn Kathir (7/280).