The Heat and Cold are from the Breathes of the Hellfire

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It is narrated in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that the Messenger of Allaah [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “The Hellfire complained to its lord and she said, “Parts of me are eating others parts of me.” So Allaah Permitted that it can have two times to breath during the year, once in winter and again in summer. When it releases its breath it causes the weather to become extremely hot and it causes the weather to become extremely cold.”

In another narration, “The bitter coldness you experience is the breathe that comes from the depth of the coldness of the Hellfire. And the extreme heat you experience is from the breathes that come from the heat-filled pits of the Hellfire.”

[Saheeh Muslim and Ibn Maajah with a similar wording]

Haafidh Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr [May Allaah have Mercy on him] stated in at-Tamheed:

The Fire is permitted to have two times to breathe (or sighs as it occurs in other narrations), once in summer and again in winter. This is proof that the breath that comes from the Fire is something different to weather one experiences in summer and winter (i.e. there is a time during these seasons that the temperature one feels has nothing to do with the weather, rather it is from the fire directly). And there are narrations from the companions which add to the narrations that come in this regard; the temperature one feels in the extreme cold is from the depths of the coldness of the Fire and the heat on feels when it is extremely hot is from the pits of the Fire.

However, even this is not taken in its apparent. It is narrated that Hasan al-Basree said in explaining this, “The Fire complained to her Lord and said, “Part of me is eating other parts, so relieve me.” So Allaah gave her relief by allowing her to breathe twice. So the extreme coldness of the fire kills whatever it touches and whatever emanates from the pits of the fire kills whatever it reaches.” End quote.

Imaam as-Suyootee said in explaining what is stated above in at-Tamheed:

Ibn at-Teen said, “Someone may ask, how can the Fire have both coldness and heat? The answer is that the Fire has parts of that is pure fire and others parts that are extremely cold. So it is not the case that the heat and coldness comes from one place.” End quote.

[Tanweer al-Hawaalik]