"They said: Swear by Allah"—that is: they made a pact with one another—"that we shall kill him by night," meaning: we shall kill Salih and his family, those who followed his religion. "Then we shall surely say to his heirs," meaning: to his clan, "We did not witness the destruction of his family."
﴿قَالُوا تقاسموا بِاللَّه﴾ أَي: تحالفوا ﴿لنبيتنه﴾ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّ صَالِحًا وَأَهْلَهُ؛ يَعْنِي: الَّذِينَ عَلَى دِينِهِ ﴿ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ﴾ أَيْ: لِرَهْطِهِ ﴿مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهله﴾
