The Village of Yathrib/Medina in the Prophet Era; Based on the First Centuries A.H. Evidences

Nowadays, using City/Town for Madinat al-Nabi seems to be inevitable. Accordingly, there are many interpretations about social, political, economic and cultural issues in the City of The Prophet. The Prophet's Mosque in the center of the city, the walls and gates surrounding it, as well as the translation of the word Medina to city/town, created the impression that Madinat al-Nabi was a city/town. In the present article, the author seeks to gain access to the first image of the city of Medina by investigating the early historical reports and moreover, attempts to discover the settlement pattern in Yathrib. All evidence obtained in early resources indicates that Yathrib was a group of small villages that were scattered on the edge of the Yathrib river channels. Gradually, from the first to the third century A.H, Yathrib (group of villages) changed to the city of Medina and its surrounding villages