What is the authenticity of the narration reported from Omar ibn Al-Khattab – may Allah be pleased with him – that it was said to him: "Why do you not clothe the Kaaba with silk?" And he replied: "The stomachs of the Muslims are more deserving"?

The aforementioned tradition has not been reported, but it has been reported from Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the covering of the Kaaba: that he covered it with Qabati cloth from the treasury, and it used to be made for him in Egypt. Then Uthman followed, then Muawiyah, who covered it with two coverings, Qabati and Dibaj. Muawiyah also assigned a regular provision of perfume for it and assigned servants to it.

Ibn Majah and Al-Bukhari narrated, with similar meaning, that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) intended to distribute the wealth of the Kaaba among the poor Muslims, but when he was reminded that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr had not done so, he refrained. It is possible that this was left untouched during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to consider the feelings of Quraysh, and that is why Ibn Az-Zubayr spent from it after the reason for refraining was no longer present.