Nahj al-Balagha (Peak of Eloquence)

270. It is related that during the days of (Caliph) ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, the question of the excess of the ornaments of the Ka‘bah was mentioned to him and some people suggested: If you prepare with it an army of Muslims that will be a matter of great reward; and what would the Ka‘bah do with the ornaments? ‘Umar thought of doing so but asked Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, when he said: When the Qur’ān was descended on the Prophet, peace be upon him and his descendants, there were four kinds of property. One, the property of Muslim individuals which he distributed among the successors according to fixed shares. Second, the tax (fay’) which he distributed to those for whom it was meant. Third, the One-fifth (khums) levy for which Allāh had fixed the ways of disposal. Fourth, amounts of charity (ṣadaqāt) whose disposal was also fixed by Allāh. The ornaments of Ka‘bah did exist in those days but Allāh left them as they were, but did not leave them by omission, nor were they unknown to Him. Therefore, you retain them where Allāh and His Prophet placed them. Thereupon, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said: If you had not been here we would have been humiliated; and he left the ornaments as they were. [1]