Islamic View of Blood Donation

Islam enjoins preserving human life and protecting it against all potential harm, affliction and hardship, and it insists on ensuring peace and security for human beings.

In the Quran, Allah says, "To save one life is to save all humanity".
Islamic law urges every Muslim to be in constant support of his community, and make it a legal requirement in many cases. According to a Hadith (saying by the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him)),"He who relieves a believer of one form of distress, in this life shall be relieved by Allah of a greater distress on the Day of Resurrection" and "Allah will help any servant of His, as long as he continues to help his brother".
"A Muslim is a brother to every Muslim, he neither lets him down, nor does him injustice, nor gives him away".

Therefore, if giving blood to a patient is necessary for his survival, then, according to Islam, it becomes mandatory to donate blood`, as a case of implementing a basic Islamic principle which makes it imperative to preserve human life. Two important main Islamic rules are also applicable here, namely: "Harm must be eliminated" & "Necessity overrules constraints". Further more it is in agreement with the Islamic principles of social justice.

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) says, "Cupping is a most useful type of medical treatment". He also says, If any of your methods of treating the ill is effective, an incision by phlebotomy scalpel is certainly one".

In the Hadith, there is an earnest call for phlebotomy and cupping, because of their proven benefits to man. It indicates that blood donation is not only harmless to the donor, but it is also useful to him, as it activates the process of replenishing blood cells. When blood is needed in the community, blood donation becomes a community as well as a person's individual obligation. If they fail to fulfil it, they shall be considered as having committed a sin.

Allah has given man a position of honor. "We have honored the sons of Adam". That is why, the selling of the human body, its organs or blood is forbidden.

The inferred meaning of three other Hadiths are: -
"Cut your vein with a scalpel and allow your blood to flow and you can do this once in three months".
"You can allow your blood to flow every 17 days, 19 days and 21 days" This is applicable to modern day Plasma and Platelet Pharisees
"Removing blood from your body improves your health and enhances your eyesight".