Overall meaning : The Almighty states that some of those who associate partners with Him listen to Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reciting the Qur’an but without benefiting from doing so; however, because of their stubborn rejection of the truth, Allah has laid veils over their hearts that prevent them from understanding it and made them hard of hearing so they may not benefit from what they hear. He also states that no matter how many manifest signs and proofs they see, they will never believe them, and when they come to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, they dispute with him, arguing with their falsehood against the truth he has brought them, and say to him that what he has brought them has been taken from the writings of the ancients.
They prevent people from embracing the truth and they themselves keep away from it. They neither benefit from the truth, nor let others benefit from it and, by so doing, they bring ruin upon none but themselves, though they do not perceive it.