Allah said,

وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا ﴿١٩﴾

And when the servant of Allah stood up invoking Him in prayer they just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other.

Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas,

"When they heard the Prophet reciting the Qur'an they almost mounted on top of him due to their zeal. When they heard him reciting the Qur'an they drew very near to him. He was unaware of them until the messenger (i.e., Jibril) came to him and made

him recite, قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ (Say: "It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn listened).'' (72:1)

They were listening to the Qur'an.''

This is one opinion and it has been reported from Az-Zubayr bin Al-`Awwam.

Ibn Jarir recorded from Ibn `Abbas that he said,

"The Jinns said to their people, لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا (when the servant of Allah stood up invoking Him in prayer they just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other).''

This is the second view and it has also been reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr.

Al-Hasan said,

"When the Messenger of Allah stood up and said none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and he called the people to their Lord, the Arabs almost crowded over him together (against him).''

Qatadah said concerning Allah's statement,

وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا

when the servant of Allah stood up invoking Him in prayer they just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other.

"Humans and Jinns both crowded together over this matter in order to extinguish it. However, Allah insisted upon helping it, supporting it and making it victorious over those who opposed it.''

This is the third view and it has also been reported from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ibn Zayd.

It was also the view preferred by Ibn Jarir. This view seems to be the most apparent meaning of the Ayah due to Allah's statement which follows it,