503 — Ahmad ibn Manīʿ narrated to us: Ibn ʿUlayya narrated to us, from Sawwār ibn ʿAbd Allāh, who said: I was informed that Maymūn ibn Mihrān said, while a man from one of the villages of Syria was with him, “In certain situations, lying is better than telling the truth.” The Syrian said, “No, telling the truth is better in every situation.” He said, “Suppose I saw a man fleeing while another man pursued him with a sword. The first man entered a house, and the other then came to you and asked, ‘Have you seen the man?’ What would you say?” He replied, “I would say, ‘No.’” He said, “That is precisely such a case.”