Analysing Concept and Meaning of the Word “Eslimi” (An Arabesque) in Islamic Art from The Viewpoint of Islamic Wisdom

The word “Eslimi” which has been coined to name a special motif in Iranian art is one of the most frequent words in the field of Islamic Art. Various research has been done on the initial origin of this Arabesque tracery and its historical development and evolution in Islamic Art; however, no research has been done to exclusively deal with the word " Eslimi" itself. It is evident that every name has its own denotation and connotation. As such, the present research is to reveal the meaning hidden behind the word "Eslimi" so as to help a more complete understanding of this tracery. In so doing, two aspects appear to be of greater importance. First, the word “Eslimi” is seemingly originated from an Arabic root meaning "surrender"; Second, there is a relationship between this arabesque and its pattern mediated by “prayers” as the most important practical teaching of Islam. The current qualitative research is of a descriptive-analytical nature, which also deals with the fields of semantics and etymology to some extent in the analysis of concept and meaning of the word. The results show that the word "Eslimi" was first invented in Persian language and was not influenced by any of the word-formation rules of Arabic namely Imalah and Qalb. Whether the word is forged from an Arabic root or made from an existing root in the ancient languages ​​of Iran, it is synonymous with the word "Islam" –according to historical sources– with the most obvious meaning of "surrender"; "Islam” is one of the most fundamental words in the Holy Quran. All in all, this arabesque tracery can be considered as a symbol that embodies elements of the prayers and expresses the submission and the surrender of man to God.