﴿ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ أَسْتَغْفَرْتَ لَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تَسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ لَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْفَٰسِقِينَ ﴾

“As for them it is all the same whether thou dost pray that they be forgiven or dost not pray for them: God will nor forgive them - for, behold, God does not bestow His guidance upon such iniquitous folk.”

(Whether thou ask forgiveness for them) i.e. for the hypocrites, (or ask not forgiveness for them, Allah will not forgive them) as long as they persist on that. (Lo! Allah guideth not) forgives not (the evil-living folk) the hypocrites, i.e. those people whom Allah knew in His pre-eternal knowledge that they will die as hypocrites.