No trail or tribulation affects him adversely as he lives...

No trail or tribulation affects him adversely as he lives with four virtues (attributes): If Allah grants him something he thanks Him and if he is caught in some difficulty, he remains patient and when he gives a judgement or issues an order he does so with justice and when he speaks he tells the truth. Thus his example among all people is like a living man who walks through the graves of the dead ones. Light above light means his word is light and his deed or act is light.

His entering every affair is light and coming out of it is also light and so also is his return towards light on the day of judgement. Fifth: Allah has given this example regarding the Holy Quran. Thereby the niche is the Quran, the lamp is a believer’s heart, the glass is his tongue and mouth and the bountiful tree is the revelation.

the oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not means it is likely that soon the argument of Quran will become clear even if it is not recited or that the proofs of Allah may become clear to the creations and for a man who ponders over it even if Quran is not revealed and ‘It is light above light’ means that the Quran is the light along with all those which were before it. ‘Allah guides to His light whom He pleases’ means Allah guides whom He wills towards Messengership and Imamate.

Apart from these, other explanations have also been given by the commentators but they would be too lengthy to mention them here.

Traditions available in the explanation of this verse are also of a various kinds: First: Ali bin Ibrahim has quoted Imam Sadiq (a.s.) in the explanation of this verse that the niche is Fatima Zahra and ‘in her is the lamp’ means Imam Hasan and ‘the lamp is in the glass’ means Imam Husain and since both these gentlemen are from one and the same Noor (light) both of them have been compared with the glass.

The Imam (a.s.) said that the glass is also Fatima; meaning Fatima (s.a.) is like a shining star among all the women of this world and the heavens and the blessed tree is Ibrahim. Neither eastern nor western means he is neither a Jew nor a Christian. The oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not means it is as if very soon knowledge would gush out from them and their progeny. Light upon light means Imams will be born one after the other.

Allah guides to His light whom He pleases means Allah guides whomsoever He wills towards the Imams.