The Prophet ﷺ said:
Gatherings are held in trust. Ahmad no.15090, Abu Daawood no.4869 – and al-Albaanee classified it as Hasan.
Tag: gatherings
5,000 or more in attendance, learning
And in the gatherings of Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله, there would be about 5,000 or more, with about 500 [of them] writing, while the rest would be learning good manners [from him].
In order to compete with the scholars
Do not acquire knowledge in order to compete with the scholars, nor to argue with the ignorant, nor to gain mastery over the gatherings. Since whoever does that, then: The Fire! The Fire!