Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Blood Donations: Islamic Guidelines

The information below may be used as background information for a Friday sermon, or as a hand-out in your campaign.

a.. Islam carries for humanity all goodness and welfare. Muslims are commanded to keep good relations with, and be generous to, all peoples. Therefore, a Muslim is allowed to donate blood to a non-Muslim.

b.. Donating blood is an act of charity. It might save the life of a person who is in desperate need of it. Referring to this, Allah, the Almighty says: ". and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind." (Al-Ma'dah: 32)

c.. Muslims should precede others in morality, kindness, generosity, and cooperation in goodness. Allah says, "But help you one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression, but keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is severe in punishment. " (Al-Ma'idah: 2).

d.. Contemporary Muslim jurists unanimously agree that blood transfusion for medical purposes is permissible. A Muslim is allowed to receive and donate blood for medical reasons. However, there should be no danger to the donor's life or health. In Muslim countries it is very common nowadays to find that religious scholars and Imams are asked to urge people to make blood donations to hospitals for public welfare. These matters are related to human life. Islam teaches us to feed the hungry, to take care of the sick and to save people's lives.

e.. The best place where one can donate blood is a blood bank or health care institutions that are able to take care of it, store it, and classify it in a professional way.

f.. Muslims in the West should show others how Islam cares about the welfare of humanity. Blood donation, if organized and called to by Islamic centers and Imams, will serve the cause of Da`wah and draw others' attention to the glittering aspects of Islam.

g.. During international campaigns for blood donation, Muslims should be so active that all peoples would have the opportunity to know more about Islam. Muslim relief organizations are encouraged to play a vital role in these humanitarian campaigns.

h.. Muslims, who are unable to donate blood due to health or medical reasons, can play an important role by calling and encouraging other members of the Muslim community to donate blood. In shaa' Allah, they will receive great reward from Allah for their efforts in guiding others for what is good.

i.. It is not permissible to sell one's blood or to pay the blood donor. However, if one is desperate for blood (to save his life) and the only means to obtain it is to purchase it, then it is permissible to pay for the blood.

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