WI: Islam with Monasticism?

According to the Hadith, one of early companions of Muhammad, Uthman bin Maz'oon, approached the Prophet and expressed his desire to take a vow of chastity and dedicate himself to prayer and fasting, but Muhammad forbid it, citing moderation as preferable, in order for his companions to ease their burden and avoid asceticism.

My question is, what if Muhammad had changed his mind and decided in favor of monasticism as a path for the particularly pious or devout? What would Islam look like with a strong tradition of monasticism from the beginning? What would Islamic monasticism look like?
 
I wonder to what degree this hypothetical monasticism might end up influenced by Eastern Christianity. There's pretty compelling evidence that local cultures conquered by the Muslims influenced Islam to some degree or another. Might you get something vaguely recognisable as a Syriac/Coptic type monastery?

Of course, there'd be regional variations, and I wouldn't doubt that the concept of marabouts in the Maghreb/West Africa might transfer well to monasticism.
 
Wouldn't this mildly hamper the spread of Islam?
I may be talking out of my arse, but I was under the impression that one of the reasons Islam spread so well amongst the common peoples of both Roman and Sassanid lands was because it distinguished itself from the abuses of power that monasteries and the clergy of monastic religions in the area (particularly Zoroastrian).

As said, I may be talking out of my arse though.
 
This could also stop some of the more strict sects if the founders have the option of going to a monastery they don't have to remake the world.

Unfortunately Wahhabism is the only example I know, but others must have existed.
 
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