Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba 33:1148

Abu Usama narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn ‘Amr narrated to us, from Safwan ibn Sulaym, he said: Abu Muslim al-Khawlani said: "The people were leaves without thorns, and today they are thorns without leaves. If you revile them, they revile you; if you criticize them, they criticize you; and if you leave them, they do not leave you."