In popular culture, Sufism is an off branch of Islam because it was initiated by Islamic saints. In reality, it is not only about Islamic influence. Sufism is an amalgamation of many spiritual ideas into one and is a wide perspective beyond one religion or path. It is a way of life through monotheism. Sufism believes in the idea of a personal God; it is a popular saying, " If you don't have a God, find Yours." Your God can be an idea, ideology, path, religion, field of work, place, person, or all of it culminated into one. There is no definite directive to reach God. Like other religious ways, Sufism also has sub-branches, created by the great mystics when they came in contact with different places, cultures and religions. One of the easiest ways of concentration and meditation (the chief practices of spirituality) under the Chishti order is through art and music. Spirituality channels one's faith towards their innermost being, the soul. Sufism is a branch of spirituality that often treats the element of 'God' as one with the self, a lover and a person. This personification of God often leads to the romanticising of him in poems, stories and songs that are now part of the popular culture and literature.
~ Suranya