# Why does every spiritual awakening story have a time of withdrawal?

*The ascetic phase in awakening stories as an archetype*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/l4n4wd2jjps/s/25/
- Date: 2021-02-09 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #201| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (2:04:12–2:05:32)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4n4wD2jjps&t=7452s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/l4n4wd2jjps/

**Topics:** Narrative and story

**Question as asked:** Every awakening narrative seems to have an ascetic phase: Moses in the desert, Jesus in the forest, the Prophet in the cave, the Buddha under the tree.

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth agrees that the ascetic phase in awakening stories is an archetype, like Tolstoy's two plots.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the ascetic phase in awakening narratives is like an archetype.

**Evidence, his words at 2:04:12:** “yeah i mean these are like archetypes ain't they that you have uh” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4n4wD2jjps&t=7452s)

## Longer summary

A super chat observes that every awakening narrative has an ascetic phase: Moses in the desert, Jesus in the wilderness, the Prophet in the cave and the Buddha under the tree. Mufti Abu Layth agrees that these are archetypes, and cites Leo Tolstoy's saying that every great story is either a man going on a journey or a stranger coming to town. Mufti adds that such stories need not be fictional to be great.

## Sources and names cited

- Musa (Moses)
- Isa (Jesus)
- the Buddha
- Leo Tolstoy

## Transcript (machine tier, 2:04:12–2:05:32)

[2:03:34] in the village or in the town and this is what happens and you've got thousands upon thousands like this it's just uh multiplies and multiplies and now how do you clean this this mess how do you clean it because it's like the production hasn't even stopped so it's like how do you replace the let alone trying to clean up and provide an antidote you haven't even stopped the problem which is still mass producing so it's it's it's it's a it's a mess man

[2:04:11] it's a mess but yeah so i hope i mean that's my thoughts right let's take a look at some of these uh uh every awakening no man's an island you're doing it no man is an island man you're doing it much love for the super chat every awakening narrative seems to have an ascetic phase moses in the desert jesus in the forest prophet in cave buddha under the tree yeah i mean these are like archetypes ain't they that you have uh

[2:04:48] you know it's like leo tolstoy when he said that every great story begins with one of two that a man comes into town sorry that a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes into town that that is really the archetype of all great stories you know it's and those kind of stories are what flourish and even if those stories you know they don't have to be fictitious they could be real but this these are the great stories yep so

[2:05:31] mufti can you be the imam at my wedding next week [Laughter] i doubt that i doubt that but um i i'm sure you can get many better imams than me to attend the weddings uh how was your mother assigned pakistan my mother was all right to be fair he was very chilled mufti naim was a very calmest-minded individual he kind of he saw relevance in you know speaking earlier on about

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment l4n4wD2jjps/s/25. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/l4n4wd2jjps/s/25/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.