Does the merit mentioned in the Hadith, "No people gather to remember Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, intending thereby nothing but His countenance, except that a caller from heaven calls out to them: 'Arise, for you have been forgiven, and your evil deeds have been transformed into good deeds,'" include those who leave the gathering of remembrance before its conclusion?

The aforementioned Hadith (definition) is authentic and indicates Allah's generosity and the vastness of His mercy, as well as the virtue of Dhikr (definition) (remembrance of Allah) and the importance of gathering for it. The reward for this is the forgiveness of the sins of those gathered for Dhikr, with the exception of major sins which require repentance. Religious lectures fall under the general category of Dhikr, and whoever attends a lecture in its entirety is included in the promise of forgiveness of sins. As for whoever attends only a part of it, their inclusion in this promise is not certain, even though it is the closest interpretation based on the apparent meaning of the Hadith. Allah's grace is vast, and He forgives whom He wills.