The Verse: [“They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.”] 1
This is an allusion to what the enemies of Allah were doing by opposing our Master, the Commander of the Faithful, and working to conceal his virtues while attributing vices to him.
[145] It has been recorded in the book Mashāriq al-Anwār from the Chosen Messenger (exalted be his might) that he said: "What is the matter with people who wish to extinguish the light of my brother Ali, while Allah will perfect His light?" 2
Footnotes
1Surah As-Saff – Verse 8.On the authority of Abu al-Hasan al-Madi (exalted be his might), he said: I asked him about the saying of Allah (exalted and majestic is He): “They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light.” He said: "They want to extinguish the Wilayah (Guardianship) of the Commander of the Faithful (exalted be his might) with their mouths..." (Source: al-Kafi).
2Muhammad bin Sama'a al-Qadi had a man with him, and the man said to him: "I entered the Mosque of Kufa and sat by one of its pillars to pray two rak'ahs. Suddenly, behind me was a Bedouin woman wearing a shamla (cloak), calling out: 'O You who are famous in the world, and O You who are famous in the Hereafter, and O You who are famous in the heaven, and O You who are famous on the earth! The tyrants have striven to extinguish your light and suppress your mention, but Allah refused for your light anything but brilliance, and for your mention anything but loftiness, even if the polytheists dislike it.' I asked: 'O handmaiden of Allah, who is this whom you describe with this attribute?' She said: 'That is the Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin Abi Talib, through whom alone monotheism is valid, along with his wilayah.' I turned to her, but saw no one." (Source: Al-Ikhtisas by al-Mufid).The Hirz (protective prayer) of the Master al-Jawad (exalted be his might): "O You who are famous in the heavens, O You who are famous in the earths, O You who are famous in the world, and O You who are famous in the Hereafter, the tyrants and kings have striven to extinguish your light and suppress your mention, but You refused anything but to perfect Your light and reveal Your mention, even if the polytheists dislike it." (Source: Muhaj al-Da'awat).