What is the difference between the righteous and those brought near?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner asks: Who are the people of the righteous and those brought near, and who are the best among them?

Answer:
My brother, it is as if he did not attend the lessons. What can we do about it? The righteous and those brought near are those who performed the obligatory acts, avoided the forbidden and disliked acts, and performed the recommended acts. These are the ones who are on the path and those brought near. The moderate and the righteous are those who performed the obligatory acts and left the forbidden acts; they left the forbidden acts. These are the moderate ones, and they are the righteous. Those who wrong themselves are those who have faith and correct belief, but they do some of the forbidden acts; they do some of the forbidden acts that are less than shirk (associating partners with Allah). These are the ones who wrong themselves. So the community is in three categories: those who wrong themselves, the moderate ones, and those who are ahead. Yes.