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Fatwa CenterThe story of ‘Umar ibn Abd Al-‘Azeez preferring to feed people than to make a new cover for the Ka‘bah
Question
asalamu alakium dear sheikh some online sources say that this statement "The stomachs of Muslims are a priority.". was a reply in a letter given by caliph umar ibn Abd al-Aziz to one of his governors when the governor asked him to provide a new cover for the Ka'bah. can you please provide a source in which it talks about this letter and can you provide more details about this letter jazakallahu khyran
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
This event was reported by Abu Nu‘aym Al-Asbahaani in his book Hilyat-ul-Awliyaa’ on the authority of Abu bakr ibn Maalik from 'Abdullaah ibn Ahmad from Abu 'Abdullaah As-Sulami from Mubashshir from Nawfal ibn Abil-Furaat: "The people in charge of the Sacred Mosque wrote to ‘Umar ibn Abd Al-‘Azeez to order a new cover for the House (Ka‘bah] as the Caliphs did before him; so, he wrote to them: 'I decided to put that in hungry stomachs, as they deserve it more than the House.'" [End of quote]
Abu Nu'aym 
did not mention other details related to this message of ‘Umar ibn Abd Al-‘Azeez to those in charge of Hijabah (serving the Ka'abah).
Allaah Knows best.
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