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Sufism is derived from the word “Suf” meaning wool. This relates to the dressing attire of the sufis, which is plain and simple. Sufism originated either in Iran or India or in a region there about, with an approach different from traditional Islam, with more focus on the inner world.

However, traditionalist don’t consider Sufism as part of Islam. It is true to an extent that Sufism, is not bound by any single religion.  It allows worship of Allah/God in whichever way one deems appropriate. It can even involve music, dance as a medium of worship, deemed inappropriate by traditional Islam. It has elements of other religions like Hinduism, etc.

Sufis are associated with one or the other sufi order, which has a master who come through a chain of masters in the lineage of Prophet Mohammad, through Ali. One of the best medium of promotion is through sufi music and qawwali. They begin with the praise of Allah, Mohammad, Ali and his family. Then with a praise for a sufi master. This is followed by ghazals which are either devotional or love songs.

Sufism promotes love for mankind through its music and there are various gharanas. A recent news item from Yahoo! News talks about the struggle to keep old gharanas alive. Further details are available on wikipedia.