Hadith Research Libraryمكتبة الحديث والرجال
Mishkat al-Masabih, 2738

Hadith text · Matn

وَعَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ الله سمى الْمَدِينَة طابة» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

English translation

Jabir b. Samura told that he heard God’s messenger say, “God called Medina Taba.”( Taj al-'Arus says the objection to the name Yathrib was owing to the fact that the root from which this name comes has the meaning of corruption. Therefore Taba, which comes from a root meaning to be good, sweet, or pure, was considered better. Other forms which have been used are Taiba, al-Mutayyaba (or al-Mutayyiba)) Muslim transmitted it.

References1 variant
In-Book Reference
Book 10, Hadith 227