The king’s companion pointed out the boy.
Why didn’t he remain silent? For that matter, why does the boy point out the monk later?
Resolve. Ibn Tamiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said “much of your resolve disappears when tortured”. Your determination and strength of will plummets. So the man pointing out the boy, well, his determination couldn’t withstand the torture.
So the king’s soldiers brought the boy to the king, who said “O my boy, your magic heals the blind and cures the lepers …” Then he used flattery. “O my boy, you’re soooooooooooo cool.” And when you flatter someone with pride in their heart, they become deluded. Pride makes you succeptible to delusion.
But the boy had too much eman. He said “I don’t heal, Allah heals”. Sound familiar?
Eventually, the king realized he wasn’t getting anywhere, and tortured the boy. The boy’s willpower failed, and he pointed out the scholar.
The king said to the monk/scholar “renounce your religion”. The scholar refused. So they brought a large saw and sawed him vertically in half.
Why, you ask, didn’t the king try flattery? Because the scholar is a person of knowledge, and therefore, protected from false tricks and flattery. People of knowledge see right through that. People of knowledge cannot be confused by misinformation.
Similarly, when Abu Dhar, may Allah be pleased with him, proclaimed shahada, the Meccans beat him with intention to kill. But Al-Abbas stepped in and said “By Allah, if you kil him, none of your caravans will be safe.” This incident is narrated in Bukhari 4/56/724. Read about the first beating.
“Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 56: irtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions.” USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts. USC-MSA. 25 Apr. 2006 <http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/056.sbt.html#004.056.724>.
Ibrahim Hindy. “People of the Ditch.” UTM MSA. University of Toronto At Mississauga, Mississauga.