The Coldness of Zamhareer

Ibnul Qayyim stated:

Allaah’s statement:

Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink. Except boiling water, and Ghasaaqaa” [Al Naba: 24-25]
It is Zamhareer, it burns them with its extreme cold just as it burns them with its heat. It was also stated by Mujaahid and Muqaatil that it is the peak of coldness.
[Badaa’i al Fawaa-id: 2/244]



Al Haafidh stated:

Allaah the Elevated rendered what is in this world, in terms of heat and cold, related to the heat and cold of the Hell fire, and an evidence for it, and this is why it is recommend to seek refuge from the Hell fire when one experiences this [i.e. the heat and cold].

As was narrated by ‘Uthmaan ad Daarimee and others, the Hadeeth of Daraaj, on the authority of Abu Haytham…that Abu Hurayrah narrated to him that the Prophet- صلى الله عليه وسلم - said:

If a man says on a hot day; ‘There is no deity worthy of worship in truth but Allaah, how hot it is today! O Allaah! Save me from the heat of Jahannam [the Hell fire].’
Allaah would say to Jahannam; “Indeed a servant of Mine has asked Me for salvation from your heat, indeed I hold you as a witness that I have granted him salvation.”

And if a servant says on an extremely cold day; ‘There is no deity worthy of worship in truth but Allaah, how cold it is today! O Allaah! Save me from the Zamhareer of Jahannam.’

Allaah would say to Jahannam; “Indeed a servant of Mine has sought refuge with me from your Zamhareer, indeed I hold you as a witness that I have granted him refuge.”

The companions asked: “What is the Zamhareer of Jahannam?

He replied: “It is an abode where the disbeliever is thrown, he would be torn apart by its extreme cold.”

[Fat-h al Baaree: 3/71]



Al ‘Aynee stated:

There is nothing to prevent Zamhareer from emitting from the same Hell fire, because what is meant by ‘the Hell fire’ is its place, which is Jahannam, and there is a level of Zamhareer in it.

It was said that there is no contradiction here in combing between heat and cold in the Hell fire, because the Hell fire is Jahannam, and it has been narrated that parts of it are fire and other parts are Zamhareer, and they are not in the same place, it is impossible that they are combined in one place.

I say [Al ‘Aynee]: The One who created the dominion including ice and fire, is able to combine two opposites in one place. In addition, the Hell fire is from the affairs of the unseen, and the affairs of the unseen are not to be compared to the affairs of this world.

[‘Umdat al Qaaree: 7350]