Hadith 557

Sahih Muslim

Book 15: The Book of Pilgrimage

Chapter 88

Al-Madinah eliminates its Dross and it is also called Tabah, and Taibah

باب الْمَدِينَةِ تَنْفِي شِرَارَهَا ‏‏

Sahih Muslim 1382a
وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، - فِيمَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِ - عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ، سَعِيدٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحُبَابِ، سَعِيدَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ ‏ ‏.‏
"‏ أُمِرْتُ بِقَرْيَةٍ تَأْكُلُ الْقُرَى يَقُولُونَ يَثْرِبَ وَهْىَ الْمَدِينَةُ تَنْفِي النَّاسَ كَمَا يَنْفِي الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ ‏"
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) as saying:

I have been commanded (to migrate) to a town (Medina) which would overpower other towns. They (the people) call it Yathrib; its correct name is (in fact) Medina. It eliminates (bad) people just as a furnace removes the alloy of iron.