Narrated Aishah, Ummul Muminin: When the Prophet ﷺ was informed of anything of a certain man, he would not say: What is the matter with so and so that he says? But he would say: What is the matter with the people that they say such and such?
Hadith Referenceسنن ابي داود / كتاب الأدب / 4788
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح | زبیر علی زئی:صحيح بخاري (6101) صحيح مسلم (2356)
Benefits and Issues: The first and most excellent etiquette of giving advice is that it should be done through hints and indirect expressions, and likewise, a preacher should also avoid explicitly pointing out any individual.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 4788