Allah, exalted is He, has described the Jews with this very trait in several passages. He says:

“So We said, ‘Strike him with a piece of it.’ Thus does Allah bring the dead to life and show you His signs, so that you may reason. Then, after that, your hearts became hardened; they were like stones or even harder. For indeed there are stones from which rivers gush forth, others split so that water pours out, and others fall down out of awe for Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.” (al-Baqarah 2:73–74)

He also says:

“Allah certainly took the covenant of the Children of Israel, and We appointed among them twelve leaders. Allah said, ‘I am with you: if you establish the prayer, give zakāh, believe in My messengers, support them, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, I will surely expiate your sins and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow.’” (al-Māʾidah 5:12)

And He says, further on:

“So, because they broke their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts hard. They distort words from their proper places and have forgotten a portion of what they were reminded of. You will always discover treachery from most of them—except for a few of them—so pardon and overlook; surely Allah loves the doers of good.” (al-Māʾidah 5:13)

Regrettably, a group within this very community—people reputed for knowledge or devotion—has taken a share of these very traits, as anyone with insight can plainly see. We seek refuge with Allah from everything that Allah and His Messenger detest. For this reason the early generations were earnest in warning against such conduct.