Blood donation is one of the best acts of charity, through which a man can attain Allah’s pleasure. However, taking compensation for blood donation renders it blood selling, which is impermissible, as blood is not one’s property so that one might sell it. In addition, Allah the Almighty has prohibited eating and drinking blood, and what is forbidden for nutrition is also forbidden for sale. Selling one’s blood rather goes against sound human nature.
The eminent Muslim scholar and renowned da`iSheikh `Abdel Khaliq Hasan Ash-Shareef, states: “Blood donation is permissible as a case of necessity that permits some forbidden acts. Some patients may lose a lot of blood and become in urgent need of blood transfusion. At the same time, taking some blood from the healthy people does not negatively affect them. For this reason, Muslim scholars legalize blood donation. But it must be for free, without any compensation in return, because blood is not the donor’s property; it is rather Allah’s creation and bounty for man. So blood donation should not be done for money.
However, there is no blame on the donor if he accepts a glass of milk or juice to reactivate himself after donating blood.”
Moreover, the eminent Saudi scholar Dr. Sa`ud Al-Funisan adds:
“Donating blood to save the life of a Muslim is one of the highly esteemed deeds through which one gets closer to his Lord. Allah the Almighty says: ‘Help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression’ (Al-Ma’idah: 2). Also, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Allah assists a person so long as he assists his brother’ (Reported by Muslim).
As for giving blood for money, it is a form of sale, not donation. It is actually prohibited because blood is forbidden to be eaten, drunk, or used, based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah. In the Qur’an Allah the Almighty says: ‘He hath forbidden for you only carrion and blood and swine flesh’ (An-Nahl: 115). It is reported in Al-Bukhari that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited selling blood and selling dogs.
In another hadith the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Once Allah prohibits something, He prohibits its price’ (Reported by Ad-Daraqutni in his book of Sunan, by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih). Thereupon, it is by no means permissible to take compensation for blood donation.”