A simile may explicitly present the subject, comparison model, particle, and ground. In isti'ara, one term is suppressed and language from the other is applied to the intended subject.
For instance, «زَيْدٌ كَالْأَسَدِ فِي الشَّجَاعَةِ» compares Zayd to a lion in courage. In the illustrative «رَأَيْتُ أَسَدًا يَخْطُبُ», the lion word refers to a courageous human speaker; delivering a speech prevents the literal animal interpretation.
The analysis should identify the intended subject, the source of the borrowed word, the shared quality, and the indicator.