Islamic scholars, and even christians and atheists, have perversity in their hearts. They search for hidden meanings in the qur'an to cause confusion.
I think your statement needs modifiers:
1- wrong to say "Islam scholars" search for hidden meanings to cause confusion ... a true scholar knows the rule of "how to understand a text" ..... he knows that the literal meaning is the priority ,and the metaphorical has so strict conditions.....
the only Muslim people who seem that violated such rules are the Sufi sect ... I read their interpretations of the Quran ,and they indeed passed the limit with their far fetched,baseless quranic exegesis. still they are a minority ,that won't represent the orthodox Islamic beliefs.
2- Again wrong to say,that Christians and atheists search for hidden meanings,in the Quran to attack Islam ....
attacking the text could be through the literal meaning itself , eg; Dhu'l Qarnayn saw the sun setting in muddy spring in Qur'an 18:86 .... though the possibility of metaphorical meaning to the verse,still the critics stick to the literal meaning ,that satisfy their reading with a preconceived idea that the Quran is not the word of God.
3- there are two points in the verse that could be understood alternatively:
A- The word " mutashabehat" is translated as
hidden "none knows or will know its meaning except God" or
allegorical "those who are versed in knowledge would know its meaning".....
B- the following part of the verse Yet only God knows its interpretation; those who are versed in knowledge say: "We believe in it; it all comes from our Lord!"
raises a question ; is there a pause between "God knows its interpretation" and "those who are versed in knowledge " ?
if there is a pause ,then there are some verses in the Quran none will ever know its meaning till day of judgment.
that doesn't mean scholars can't suggest a meaning ,but just whatever they would suggest won't be the true intended meaning.
if there is not a pause ,then God and those who are versed in knowledge know the meaning .....
whatever meaning ,still those verses ,not mother of the book ,and they are not establishing the basic tenets of Islam, they are merely referring to unseen things ,that will be be seen the day of judgment ,inshallah.
Have a good day.