«وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِي أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدًا»
“And we do not know whether ill is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends right guidance for them.” (Al-Jinn 72:10)
In “أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ”, the verb “أُرِيدَ” is passive and the agent is not expressed. In “أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدًا”, the agent “رَبُّهُمْ” is explicitly named.
The contrast is not merely grammatical variety. Omitting the agent in connection with harm while explicitly attributing guidance to their Lord exemplifies a form of expression chosen for rhetorical propriety.