Light reflected through strip mall I operate (3,4)
I believe the answer is:
oil lamp
'light' is the definition.
(oil lamp is a kind of light)
'reflected through strip mall i operate' is the wordplay.
'reflected' says the letters should be written in reverse (letters reflected back).
'through' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'pmallio' is hidden within 'strip mall i operate'.
'pmallio' reversed gives 'OIL-LAMP'.
(Other definitions for oil lamp that I've seen before include "Light that burns kerosene" , "Early means of illumination" .)