The lie of the scholar/monk to the boy falls under the three types of acceptable lies, a situation of war.
A beast blocked the path of the people. The boy said: “O Allah, if the monk is dearer to you, then kill the beast.” He threw the stone, hit the beast, and it died. (The people came to celebrate him as a great hero.)
Notice the natural inclination of the boy–to help the people. He’s attached to the people, he knew the truth, and wanted to help the people. Note also his bias towards the monk–when he made du’a, he asked about the monk. He didn’t say “O Allah, if the magician is more hated to you” or “O Allah, if the magician is more beloved to you”. He ties his love of Allah to his love of the monk. Subhanallah.
Fundamental Da’wah Technique: Make yourself likable to the recipient. In people’s minds, it’s almost impossible to seperate the caller from the message.
May Allah allow us to learn from these shining examples of iman.
Ibrahim Hindy. “People of the Ditch.” UTM MSA. University of Toronto At Mississauga, Mississauga.