the price per issue was ₹100, i.e., ₹400 annually, which was later increased to ₹150. salahuddin parvez wrote that isti‘arah was a dream shared by him and his friend siraj munir, but unfortunately, siraj munir passed away, so parvez dedicated the magazine to his memory. each issue had "in memory of siraj munir" inscribed on its cover. the magazine's slogan was "the third voice breaking the silence of literature". regarding this, haqqani al-qasmi stated in an interview that the purpose of isti‘arah was simply to break the creative stagnation and silence in literature. from the very beginning, isti‘arah was quite voluminous, and its content was diverse. however, a careful study reveals that its inclination was more towards literary criticism, poetry, and hindu classical literature. the first issue was dedicated to hazrat ali, and the second issue was dedicated to hazrat fatima. additionally, each issue began with selected excerpts from nahjul balagha, which led to accusations of promoting shia ideology. the magazine also published the works of controversial figures like atal bihari vajpayee and v. p. singh. at times, it was labeled as a mouthpiece of the freemason movement, and contemporary newspapers and magazines launched campaigns against it. some critics even called it a magazine of a particular ideological group. however, despite controversies, patronage from notable personalities, and its high-quality presentation, isti‘arah gained immense popularity among both general readers and literary elites. salahuddin parvez had connections in the film industry, politics, and various art fields. the magazine even published a letter from the president of india, dr. a. p. j. abdul kalam, addressed to salahuddin parvez, congratulating him on the magazine’s success.