Giving blood to those who need it is natural for Muslims, who believe, not only in the unity of God, but also in the unity of mankind.

Muslim unity is powerfully on display during prayer. We do not stand at a comfortable distance from others. Rather we stand in rows, shoulder to shoulder. Dr. Imam Imad Enchassi remembers nearly crying with joy when, after the acute threat of Covid had passed, he could say again to his live, physically present brothers, “Stand shoulder to shoulder!”

After standing at a distance for so long, he again saw his Muslim brothers standing in physical unity, filling the gaps. Later, Dr. Enchassi reflected on the idea of unity: “The idea is not only that we are physically close, but that we are spiritually close. We don’t only bring people together shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot, but we bring the hearts of people together.”

When you donate blood, the blood of your heart flows through the heart of another. We do not choose who receives our blood. In fact, most of the time we will never find out where our blood goes, but when we donate blood, we stand in unity with all of mankind and affirm the value of Allah’s creation. Although we may not pray with the man or woman or child who receives our blood, our hearts are brought together through an act of love and generosity.

UNITY

Dr. Imam Imad Enchassi’s lecture, “Walk the Walk”:

Straighten the rows, for you form rows like the angels, and keep your shoulders in line with one another, and fill the gaps, and do not leave any room for the Shaytaan. Whoever joins a row to complete it, Allaah will take care of him...

Ahmad, Abu Dawood–Saheeh by al-Albaani