Waanna la nadree asharrun oreeda biman fee al-ardi am arada bihim rabbuhum (surah Jinn: 10)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(72:10) and that 'we do not know whether evil is intended for those on the earth, or whether their Lord intends to direct them to the Right Way'; *10

Wa annaa laa nadreee asharrun ureeda biman fil ardi am araada bihim rabbuhum rashadaa

*10) This shows that such extraordinary measures were adopted in the heavens only on two kinds of occasions: first, when Allah might decide to inflict the dwellers of the earth with a torment, and the Divine will might be that before it was actually inflicted the jinn might not know and convey its news to warn their friendly human beings of the impending disaster. Second, that Allah might appoint a Messenger on the earth, and strict security measures might be adopted so that neither the messages being conveyed to him be interfered with by the satans nor should they be able to know beforehand what instructions were being given to the Messenger. Thus, the saying of the jinn means: "When we noticed that strict security measures had been adopted in the heavens for the safeguard of the news, and the meteorites were being showered profusely, we wanted to know which of the two things had happened: whether Allah had caused a torment to descend suddenly on some people of the earth, or a Messenger had been raised somewhere on the earth. We were on the lookout for the same when we heard the wonderful Revelation, which guides to the Right Path, and we came to know that Allah had not sent down a torment but had raised a Messenger to show the Right Way to the people." For further explanation, see E.N.'s 8 to 12 of Al-Hijr, E.N. 7 of ASSaaffat, E.N. I 1 of Al-Mulk).