Weak. Ahmad (5/181) and al-Tirmidhī (2/118) narrated it through Ibn Lahīa, from Ubayd Allāh ibn Abī Jafar, from Abū Abd al-Rahmān al-Hubulī, from Abū Dharr, who said:

The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said—and he then cited the hadith. Al-Tirmidhī said: “A singular hadith; we know it in this form only through the narration of Ibn Lahīa.”

I say: It is weak because of his poor memory.

(Note) This is how it appears in the Būlāq edition of al-Tirmidhī: “singular.” Al-Mundhirī quoted him as saying (3/272): “singular and fair.” Perhaps that wording appeared in a copy available to him.

424 — (Muāwiya narrated that the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “If you pursue people’s faults, you will corrupt them, or nearly corrupt them.” Abū Dāwūd and Ibn Hibbān in his Sahīh.) p. 308.

Authentic. Abū Dāwūd (4888) and Ibn Hibbān (1495) narrated it through Sufyān, from Thawr ibn Yazīd, from Rāshid ibn Sad, from Muāwiya. I say: This chain is authentic; all its narrators are trustworthy.

425 — (Abū Umāma also narrated from him—peace and blessings be upon him—that he said: “When the ruler seeks grounds to suspect people, he corrupts them.” Abū Dāwūd.) p. 308.

Authentic. Abū Dāwūd (4889) narrated it, as did al-Tahāwī in Mushkil al-Āthār (1/20), al-Hākim (4/378), Ahmad (4/6), and Ibn Asākir in Tārīkh Dimashq (8/241/1), through several routes from Ismāīl ibn Ayyāsh, who said: Damdam ibn Zura narrated to us, from Shurayh ibn Ubayd, from Jubayr ibn Nufayr, Kathīr ibn Murra, and Amr ibn al-Aswad,