حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَی بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الرَّمْلِيُّ وَابْنُ عَوْفٍ وَهَذَا لَفْظُهُ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا الْفِرْيَابِيُّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ ثَوْرٍ عَنْ رَاشِدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ إِنَّکَ إِنْ اتَّبَعْتَ عَوْرَاتِ النَّاسِ أَفْسَدْتَهُمْ أَوْ کِدْتَ أَنْ تُفْسِدَهُمْ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَائِ کَلِمَةٌ سَمِعَهَا مُعَاوِيَةُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ نَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَی بِهَا
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 4888
Narrated Muawiyah: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: If you search for the faults of the people, you will corrupt them, or will nearly corrupt them. Abud Darda said: These are the words which Muawiyah himself from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Allah benefited him by them.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020