The verse says...

Yet they neither repent, nor do they take admonition.”*** These blind-hearted hypocrites take no counsel and take an example of nothing. They are always faced with trials, and some calamities and disasters fall upon them, but they do not come to themselves and do not take counsel. In this holy verse, if fact, the Qur’ān criticizes their inattentiveness and their unawareness. It says: “Do they not see that they are tried once or twice every year?

Allah has turned away their hearts because they are a people who do not understand.”*** When the hypocrites were at the presence of the Prophet (S) and the believers, and, at the same time a Surah was revealed, they looked at each other and, by their glances and signals, they said to one another whether anyone saw them.

That is, if the Prophet (S) and the believers did not watch them, and they were neglectful of them the hypocrites might go out of that meeting in order not to listen to the recitation of the Surah. They feared that the Surah would be about them, and it might say something of their secrets. Therefore, they wanted to leave the meeting in any way they could, and when they found the opportunity for it, they would flee.

The above holy verse says: “And whenever a Surah is sent down, they look at one another, (saying): ‘Does anyone see you?’…” After mentioning these matters in this verse, the Qur’ān implies that Allah has turned away their hearts. That is, their hearts have turned away from the truth. The reason of this status is that they are a group of people who do not apprehend the reality and do not think correctly.