Dear Islamic brothers! There are certainly many benefits of the company of Islamic scholars and they are all by virtue of religious knowledge, for religious knowledge is the everlasting good deed and the companion that will help in the grave, as my Beloved Master
صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three:

1.   Ongoing charity,

2.   Knowledge that is benefitted from and

3.   Pious offspring who pray for him. (Muslim, p. 638, Hadith: 1631)

Remember that respect must only be given to the scholars of Ahl-e-Sunnat. As for the heretic scholars, one must avoid even their shadow, for respecting them is Haraam, listening to their speeches, reading their books and keeping their company are Haraam and fatally poisonous for the faith. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: You should stay away from them and they should stay away from you lest they lead you astray and lest they plunge you into turmoil. (Muqaddamah Sahih Muslim, p. 9, Hadith: 7 (With reference to Kufriya Kalimat Kay Baray Mayn Suwal Jawab)

In fact he even said: Whoever says Salam to a heretic person or meets him politely or behaves towards him in such a way that makes him feel happy, then he has belittled the thing that Allah Almighty has sent down upon Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. (Tareekh-e-Baghdad, vol. 10, p. 262 (With reference to Kufriya Kalimat Kay Baray Mayn Suwal Jawab)

Gaining which knowledge is obligatory?

O devotees of the Prophet! It is the knowledge of religion that has been made obligatory to attain as per necessity, as the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: Attaining knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim. (Ibn-e-Majah, Al-Muqaddamah, p. 49, Hadith: 224)

Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ has stated on page number 135 of the chapter ‘Nayki Ki Dawat’ of Faizan-e-Sunnat volume 2: This