Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I was ordered to migrate to a town which will swallow (conquer) other towns and is called Yathrib and that is Medina, and it turns out (bad) persons as a furnace removes the impurities of iron.  

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُمِرْتُ بِقَرْيَةٍ تَأْكُلُ الْقُرَى يَقُولُونَ يَثْرِبُ وَهْىَ الْمَدِينَةُ تَنْفِي النَّاسَ كَمَا يَنْفِي الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ