How, when, and why was the name of Yathrib changed to "Al-Madinah"? And was that by divine command or by a decision from the Messenger, may God's prayers and peace be upon him? And was Yathrib the only town to be named "Al-Madinah" at that time? And why was this specific name given to it? And why was Mecca described as a "village" in the Quran, while the description "village" was not applied to Medina (formerly Yathrib)?

The name "al-Madinah" became a proper noun for the city of Yathrib after the arrival of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to it. This appellation has been mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, such as in the Almighty's saying: "It was not for the people of al-Madinah," and his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "I was commanded to go to a town which devours other towns; they say Yathrib, and it is al-Madinah." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, disliked the name "Yathrib" because it is derived from "al-tathreeb" (reproach). No other city is known to have adopted the name "al-Madinah" as a proper noun except the Prophetic City. As for the use of the word "al-Madinah" in other contexts, such as the Almighty's saying in the story of Pharaoh: "Indeed, this is a plot you have plotted in al-Madinah," it refers to the city known to them, which is Egypt. As for "al-qaryah" (village), it is used for both a city and a metropolis that encompasses dwellings, and "Umm al-Qura" (Mother of Cities) is a specific name for Makkah due to its superiority.