The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When you hear a man say, 'The people are ruined,' he himself is the most ruined of them."
أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: إذا سمعت الرجل يقول: هلك الناس فهو أهلكهم.
Malik narrated it in Kalam (2) from Suhayl bin Abu Salih, from his father, from Abu Hurairah, and he mentioned it. Muslim narrated it in Birr wa Sila (2623) through the route of Malik with the same wording. Muslim said, Abu Ishaq said, "I do not know whether he said 'ahlakahum' with a fatha or 'ahlakahum' with a damma."Nawawi said, "It has been transmitted in two ways, and the damma form is more well known." He also said, "The scholars agree that this censure applies only to one who says it in a spirit of belittling people, holding them in contempt, considering himself superior to them, and disparaging their conditions. As for one who says it out of sorrow over what he sees of shortcomings in matters of religion, both in himself and in others, there is no harm in that."