وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا ﴿۴۶﴾ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَسْتَمِعُونَ بِهِ إِذْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِذْ هُمْ نَجْوَى إِذْ يَقُولُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا رَجُلًا مَسْحُورًا ﴿۴۷﴾ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا لَكَ الْأَمْثَالَ فَضَلُّوا فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا ﴿۴۸﴾

﴾46﴿ Wa ja'alnaa 'alaa quloo bihim akinnatan any yafqahoohu wa feee aazaanihim waqraa; wa izaa zakarta Rabbaka fil Quraani wahdahoo wallaw 'alaaa adbaarihim nufooraa
﴾47﴿ Nahnu a'lamu bimaa yastami'oona biheee iz yastami'oona ilaika wa iz hum najwaaa iz yaqooluz zaalimoona in tattabi'oona illaa rajulam mas hooraa
﴾48﴿ Unzur kaifa daraboo lakal amsaala fadalloo falaa yastatee'oona sabeelaa

﴾46﴿ And We have placed coverings over their hearts to prevent them from understanding the Qur'an, and in their ears is deafness. And when you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn away in aversion
﴾47﴿ We know best what they intend to hear when they listen to you, and when they privately converse, when the wrongdoers say, 'You are only following a man affected by magic
﴾48﴿ See how they attribute to you various false descriptions, but they have gone astray and cannot find the right path

[46] In this verse, the affliction of their hearts and ears is mentioned—similar to “Allah has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil,” as in verse 7 of Surah Al-Baqarah and verse 25 of Surah Al-An‘ām.
"(Waqran)" – This refers to deafness, like the expression ṣumman (deaf). Or, it may refer to the stories of shirk and superstitions that have filled their ears, preventing the sound of tawḥīd and truth from entering.
Again, there is a warning concerning their denial of tawḥīd. They sit before the Qur’an as if it has no benefit.
When the Qur’an presents the message of tawḥīd—such as calling solely upon Allah for help, worshiping Him alone, and associating no partners with Him—they begin to show aversion.
Similar examples of this reaction are found in:
– Verse 35 of Surah As-Sāffāt
– Verse 5 of Surah Ṣād
– Verse 45 of Surah Az-Zumar
– Verse 12 of Surah Ḥā Mīm al-Mu’min
And from the word "(waḥdahu)"—“Him alone”—the term tawḥīd is derived, proving that tawḥīd is a legitimate shar‘i term.
[47] In this verse, there is a warning regarding the denial of the Messenger.
They accused him of being masḥūr—which can mean deceived, or someone in need of food and drink, or someone whose intellect has been overcome through magical means.
This accusation was made while the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) was in Makkah, at a time when he had not been affected by magic. So they were lying.
Later in Madinah, he was indeed affected by magic, as confirmed in authentic hadiths. Therefore, there is no contradiction between the two events. A full explanation of that will come, in shā’ Allah, in the tafsir of Surah Al-Falaq.
"(Idh yastami‘ūna ilayk)" – means: At first, they listen to the Qur’an, but with the intention of criticizing it. Then they consult among themselves on what kind of verdict to give about this Prophet.
[48] This verse also falls under the ruling of the previous one—namely, a warning regarding the denial of the Messenger.
It shows that mocking or attacking the Messenger is a cause of such misguidance that they can no longer find the path to guidance.
"(Al-amthāl)" – refers to insulting labels such as poet, sorcerer, soothsayer, fabricator, etc.
Similar expressions are found in verses 8 and 9 of Surah Al-Furqān as well.