Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said: The parable of the Believers in their mutual love and mercy is like that of a living body: if one part feels pain, the whole body suffers in sleeplessness and fever.

Blood donation may seem like a small act—so small in fact, it’s easy to overlook—but our characters are made up of the small, mundane sacrifices we make for other people (or our neglect of them). Here at Faith in Blood, we believe that giving blood is an important way that Muslims can express their “mutual love and mercy” towards one another.

Allah, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, rewards our efforts, small and large, to heed his command to care for the sick and give out of our abundance.

Blood drives are one of the best ways to get people to gather in a spirit of service. Anyone (even children!) can serve as a volunteer on the day of the event, and there are all kinds of games, friendly competitions, and educational events that can lead up to the actual blood drive. It’s wonderful to see a Muslim community rally around the work of protecting the health and life of their fellows.

If members of your community are like most of us, they probably fall into spiritual ruts. We attend jum’ah, pray, fast, give zakat, and do our best to be good Muslims—but sometimes it all ends up feeling a little flat. Blood donation is one way to break out of these ruts.

The vast majority of people rarely give blood. That means, when we do give blood it’s kind of an extraordinary experience! It’s an opportunity to step out of our comfort zone and say to ourselves: Today, I am going to do what I believe Allah Almighty wants me to do—whether or not it’s comfortable or easy. This simple action of love can revitalize a person’s commitment and encourage them to put Allah and others first.