It is reported that ʿUmar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – once came out and saw a travelling party; he asked:

Who is this travelling party? They replied, “Pilgrims (on Hajj).” He asked them three times, “And nothing else has brought you forth?” They replied, “Nothing else.” He said, “If the travelers [on Hajj] knew who they were coming to, they would feel the delight of having great virtue after forgiveness [from Allāh]. By He in whose hand is ʿUmar’s soul, never does [the pilgrim’s] camel raise its hoof and place it back down except that Allāh raises [the pilgrim] in rank, forgives one of his sins and writes for him a good deed.”

ʿAbd Al-Razzāq Al-Ṣan’ānī, Al-Muṣannaf 5: 4, 5.