In Surat Al-Waaqi’ah, two groups of people of Paradise were mentioned: "the forerunners who were brought near to Allaah" and "the companions of the right". Which group is higher in degree, and what is the difference between them?
In Surat Ar-Rahmaan, two groups of people of Paradise were mentioned. Which group is higher in degree, and what is the difference between them?
May Allaah reward you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

The forerunners who are brought near to Allaah The Almighty, are higher in degree in the sight of Allaah The Almighty than the companions of the right. In his Tafseer (exegesis), Ibn Katheer said, “Then if the dying person is one of those who are brought near to Allaah, who fulfilled the obligations and the recommended acts of worship and abandoned the forbidden and disliked matters and even some of the permissible matters, then for him will be the rest and bounty, and the angels bring them glad tidings of this at the time of death.”

Ibn Katheer also said, “The companions of the right are the righteous and their rank – according to Maymoon ibn Mihraan – is lower than that of those brought near to Allaah.”

However, scholars held two opinions regarding the two groups mentioned in Chapter Ar-Rahmaan:

First: They are those who are brought near to Allaah The Almighty and are the companions of the right. In his Tafseer, Al-Qurtubi said,

“Ibn Jurayj said, ‘They are four (gardens): among which two gardens are for the forerunners who are brought near Allaah and they have two kinds of every fruit and two flowing springs. The other two gardens are for the companions of the right, and they have fruit, palm trees and pomegranates, and two spouting springs.’

“Ibn Zayd said, ‘The first two gardens are of gold, for those who are brought near Allaah The Almighty, and the other two gardens are of silver for the companions of the right." Al-Haleemi Abu ‘Abdullaah Al-Hasan ibn Al-Husayn seconded this opinion in his book Minhaaj Ad-Deen. He supported his opinion by the report narrated on the authority of Sa’eed ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbaas commented on the Saying of Allaah The Almighty (what means): {But for he who has feared the position of his Lord are two gardens.} [Quran 55:46] till His Saying (what means): {Dark green [in color].} [Quran 55:64] saying, ‘The first two gardens are for those who are brought near Allaah The Almighty, and the other two gardens are for the companions of the right.’"

Second: They are two groups of the people of Paradise, being of varied degrees in standing in awe of Allaah The Almighty and fearing Him. Al-Qurtubi said,

“If someone were to ask, ‘Why are the people of these two gardens not mentioned like the people of the first two gardens?’ we would say, ‘The four gardens are for those who feared standing in front of their Lord, but they are of varied degrees. The first two gardens are for the slaves of Allaah The Almighty who have the highest degree of fearing Him, whereas the other two are for those who fear Allaah The Almighty less than the first.’"

Allaah Knows best.