Attaching Oneself to a School of Thought

Question:
When I recently asked you how important it was to belong to a particular school of thought, you responded by saying that if I attached myself to a particular school of thought, there was a danger that I might get brain-washed. Your answer has left me troubled. As I try to find my way through the Qur'an, I know I can stray. It also places a tremendous responsibility on me. My question now is: what are the indications that I have strayed? I know it sounds simplistic, but this has worried me for many years now. I might add that I have tried to find a person/school without feeling good about any of them. Please help!!

Response:
It is not quite as much the problem of being associated with one school of thought that is a cause of concern as it is an individual's attitude of not being open-minded because of his/her attachment to one person or a school of thought. We are all naturally inclined towards one school of thought or another. However, if by being attached to one school one is not even listening with an open mind the other views, then there is a serious absence of willingness of knowing the truth in the individual. It is therefore imperative that while we follow our religious understanding we should also continue to ask ourselves if we are doing enough to know what others are saying. If you are open to what other people have to say against your peculiar religious thinking, then you should not be too worried about your religious approach.

It is always useful to pray to God in this manner: Allahumma arinal haqqa haqqan warzuqnattiba'ahu wa arinal batila batilan warzuqnajtinabahu "Allah, show me the truth in the form of truth and allow me to follow it, and show me the untruth in the form of untruth and allow me to refrain from it."

I am glad that you haven’t found any one person or school of thought that has completely satisfied you. That is an indication of the fact that you are a thinking person and also, since no more prophets are going to come, that you will find neither an individual nor a school of thought that will completely satisfy you. So start living in this less-than-ideal world and take everything on merit. You will find yourself much less troubled if you approach this life with this mindset. A romantic outlook of idealism is what causes people to be dissatisfied with the existing life and what it has to offer.

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