The Scarcity of True Friendship 

فَمَا لَنَا مِنْ شَافِعِينَ

For us, there are no intercessors.

وَلاَ صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ

Nor any true friend.

Sūrah al-Shuʿarāʾ 26: 100-101

On the Day of Judgment, the one who disbelieved in Allah will say, “For us, there are no intercessors.” The question here is why was the word “intercessor” used as a plural and the term “true friend” in the second verse used as a singular? The reason lies in that there are many people who would be willing to put in a good word for us. However, there are only a few real friends who are dependable and willing to be our mainstay, helping us navigate through life’s trials and tribulations like failure, sickness, poverty, and other hardships. The difficulty of finding a genuine friend to support us through worldly matters extends to the hereafter, where there will be very few, if anyone, who will aid us when we need it most.  
There are numerous signs around us to avoid being disillusioned by other people and to invest that energy in worshiping Allah. Our trust is only in Allah’s mercy and following the tradition of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the one who promised to intercede for his followers.