The students and scholars of Islam, from the time of the Sahabah up to our time, have taken advantage of travelling to Hajj to meet scholars, learn from them, and seek their judgement on matters of differing opinions.

Yahya ibn Yaʿmar said: “The first person to speak about Qadar (i.e., denying it) was Maʿbad al-Juhani in Basra. So I left from Basra with Humayd ibn ʿAbdul-Rahman al-Himyari for the purpose of performing Hajj or ʿUmrah. We said that if we meet anyone from the companions of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ then we shall ask him about what these people are saying in the affair of al-Qadar. So we came across the companion ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (radiyallahu ʿanhuma) as he was entering the masjid…” (Sahih Muslim no. 1)

Yazid al-Faqir was influenced by the beliefs of the Khawarij and had set out for Hajj with a group of people who shared these beliefs, intending to spread and propagate them. On their way to Hajj, they passed by Madinah and came across the great companion Jabir ibn Abdullah (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) teaching in the Prophet’s Mosque. They discussed this issue with him and, through his guidance, abandoned the beliefs of the Khawarij. (Sahih Muslim no. 320)

Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir said: “My eagerness to meet ‘Amr ibn Dinar increases my desire for performing Hajj, for he loves us and benefits us.” (Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala 5/303)

Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani said: “One of the things that increases my desire for Hajj and attending it is meeting my brothers there, whom I do not meet elsewhere.” (Akhbar Makkah of al-Fakihi 2/382)

Ayyub ibn Sulayman ibn Bilal said: “I said to ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar: ‘I see that you are keen to meet the Iraqi scholars during the Hajj season.’ He said: ‘By Allah, the only joy I have in my year is the days of the Hajj season, where I meet people whose hearts Allah has enlightened with faith. When I see them, my heart feels comforted, among them is Ayyub [al-Sakhtiyani].’” (Hilyah al-Awliyah 3/4)

Sufyan al-Thawri said: “I performed Hajj many times in hope of meeting Ibn Lahi‘ah.” (Tarikh Dimashq 32/143)

‘Ali ibn al-Madini said about a hadith: “I once performed Hajj with no other intent except to hear this narration from Sufyan [ibn ‘Uyaynah].” (Jami al-Tirmidhi no. 3149)

Al-Dhahabi commented in the biography of Sufyan Ibn ‘Uyaynah: “There were many students of hadith who would undertake the pilgrimage of Hajj, and what motivated them was meeting Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah due to his leadership in knowledge and the high quality of his chain of narration.” (Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala 8/457)

Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan (hafidhahullah):

Hajj is an opportunity to meet scholars from the East and the West. This is one of the benefits of Hajj, as Allah said:

لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ

“That they may witness things that are of benefit to them” (Surah al-Hajj 22:28)

One of the key benefits of Hajj is meeting scholars, benefitting from their knowledge and virtue, loving them, and connecting with them. Someone might be in the East and another in the West, or people might long to see them, and they come to Hajj and meet.

This is a significant benefit of Hajj: meeting scholars and people of virtue, benefitting from them, and renewing love between hearts. It also encourages acquaintance among pilgrims, brothers from the East and the West, who benefit from each other. Even scholars benefit from each other through discussions, studying together, and addressing problems among themselves. So, what about the common people who are in need of asking scholars?

Hajj is a remarkable opportunity, and this is one of the divine wisdoms in Hajj: that Muslims from the East and the West, despite their different colors, languages, understandings, and knowledge, meet and benefit from each other.

Source: On the Shaykh’s official website here