Gratitude is fundamental to Islam, and blood donation is a powerful way to demonstrate a particular type of gratitude, “Shukr bil-badan.” Reflecting on gratitude, Mahasin D. Shamsid-Deen writes:

This praise and gratitude that we have for Allah, The Most High, is a daily and integral part of our lives.  It is not something to take for granted.  Scholars in Islamic adab and iman have explained the concept of thankfulness and gratitude in Islam on three levels:

1. Shukr bi’l-qalb: gratitude expressed by our inner feeling of what is in
our heart

2. Shukr bi’l-lisan: gratitude expressed by tongue and what we say

3. Shukr bi’l-badan wa’l-arkan: gratitude expressed by body and limbs in our good deeds and actions.

By giving blood, we are doing the good deed of saving life! We express gratitude for life every time we offer our blood to preserve a life created by Allah, May His Name be Glorified.

Read Mahasin D. Shamsid-Deen’s full essay, "3 Levels of Shukr in Islam," here: