Assalaamu alaykum. There is a verse in the Quran that says that you will not have friends on the day of Judgment, but there is a verse that says that the people of piety will be brothers. Can you please explain how these two relate? To me, it seems like they are talking about different stages, but please explain.

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Perhaps you mean the verse in which Allah says (what means): {O you who have believed, spend from that which We have provided for you before there comes a Day in which there is no exchange and no friendship and no intercession.} [Quran 2:254] and the saying of Allah (which means): {Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.} [Quran 43:67]

If this is the case, then there is no contradiction between the two verses nor are they talking about different stages of the Day of Judgment; rather, one verse is general, and the other is specific, and there is no contradiction between what is general and what is specific [i.e. which applies to a particular case].

The general meaning is that the friendship is terminated [no longer exist] on the Day of Judgment, or its usefulness is negated between friends (i.e. in general), and the specific meaning is the case of the righteous; they are the only ones whose friendship will remain or be useful to them on that Day. Therefore, the situation of the righteous is specific, unlike that of the general people on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn Al-Wazeer said in Ar-Rawdh Al-Baasim fee Adh-Dhab ‘an Sunnati Abil-Qaassim :

“The Quran is full of general and particular rulings, as is known by the people of distinction, let alone the people who are specialized in this field; an example of this is the verse in which Allah says (what means): {…before there comes a Day in which there is no exchange and no friendship and no intercession.} [Quran 2:254]; Allah explicitly negated friendship and intercession in this verse from everyone, and then He restricted it in His saying {Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.} [Quran 43:67]; Allah also says (what means): {…and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive.} [Quran 21:28]; so Allah confirmed friendship and intercession for the righteous and those whom He approves after He negated them in general.”

Besides, Ibn Katheer said:

"The saying of Allah: {Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous.} [Quran 43:67] means that every friendship that exists for a purpose other than for the sake of Allah will turn to enmity on the Day of Resurrection, but that which is for the sake of Allah will last forever. This is like the statement of Ibraaheem [Abraham], may Allah exalt his mention, to his people: {And [Ibraaheem] said: You have only taken, other than Allah, idols as [a bond of] affection among you in worldly life. Then on the Day of Resurrection you will deny one another and curse one another, and your refuge will be the Fire, and you will not have any helpers.} [Quran 29:25]"

Allah knows best.