Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Asbagh ibn Nubata said: A man came to Ali (peace be upon him) and said, 'O Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him)! A group imagines that a believer does not commit adultery, does not steal, does not drink wine, does not consume usury, and does not shed forbidden blood. O Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him)! This statement weighs heavily on me and my heart is in constant distress; I observe that this servant prays as I pray and supplicates as I supplicate, marries into my family and I into his, and inherits from me and I from him — and now, because of a single sin, he leaves faith?!' Ali (peace be upon him) said: 'You have spoken truly! I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say: Allah has alluded to this matter in His Book and placed people in three ranks and grades, where He says: فَأَصْحابُ المَیْمَنَةِ ما أَصْحابُ المَیْمَنَةِ وَ أَصْحابُ المَشْئَمَةِ ما أَصْحابُ الْمشْئَمَةِ وَ السَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ [Then (as to) the companions of the right hand; how happy are the companions of the right hand! And (as to) the companions of the left hand; how wretched are the companions of the left hand! And the foremost are the foremost]. As for those who are the foremost (al-sabiqun), they are the prophets, both those sent as messengers and those not sent as messengers.'