The Prophet —may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him— whenever something about a man was conveyed to him, would not say: “What is the matter with so-and-so that he says such-and-such?” Rather, he would say: “What is the matter with some people who say such-and-such?”

Narrated by Abū Dāwūd (no. 4788), al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿab al-Īmān (no. 7745), and al-Ṭaḥāwī in Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār (no. 5881), from the narration of ʿĀʾishah —may Allah be pleased with her.
Authenticated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ (no. 4692) and Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (no. 2064).

Brief Explanation of the Hadith

This ḥadīth highlights a profound aspect of the Prophet’s — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — character in addressing people’s mistakes.
When something displeasing was reported to him regarding someone’s words or actions, he would not mention the person by name; rather, he would say: “What is the matter with some people?...” — thereby achieving the purpose of correction and admonition without embarrassing or exposing the individual in front of others.
This teaches the value of concealment and protection of the companions’ hearts from hurt or alienation, and it shows the Ummah that correction can be carried out with gentleness — addressing the mistake in a way that benefits everyone without exposing or humiliating the one who erred.
This approach achieves two benefits: the first is correcting the condition of the one who erred, and the second is extending the benefit to the listeners so they may avoid falling into a similar mistake. The ḥadīth thus demonstrates the perfection of the Prophet’s — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — character and his wisdom in teaching, showing that gentleness and kindness in addressing mistakes are more effective and impactful than harsh confrontation.