A British Muslim charity has successfully broken the world record for the largest number of blood donations in one day, an attempt expected to save or improve more than 110,000 lives.
The volunteer-run world record effort was organized in August by a social justice charity that worked with NHS Blood and Transplant called Who Is Hussain, as well as the Imam Hussain Blood Donation Campaign, one of the country’s oldest Muslim blood donation organizations.
As part of the campaign, called #GlobalBloodHeroes, blood donation centers across the UK – and dozens more in 27 countries including Argentina, Iraq, and Thailand – collected blood from more than 37,000 people. Donations started at a center in New Zealand and concluded in the US.
Authenticated by the official world records, the total number of blood donations was 37,018, beating the previous record of 34,723 set in 2020.
Large numbers of first-time donors took part in the campaign, with 25% of UK donors giving blood for the first time, the charity confirmed, adding that the campaign was successful.
“The pandemic hit blood reserves across the world hard. With hospitals struggling to meet demands. Who Is Hussain volunteers rallied together and launched our Global Blood Heroes campaign,” said the charity’s director Muntazir Rai, The Guardian reported.
“Donating blood is a universal act of compassion that can unite people all around the world – we all bleed the same,” he added. “We’re so excited that so many first-time donors came forward and many have committed to donating again and will continue to, hopefully, for years to come.”
Blood transfusion for medical purposes and anything that can save lives is permissible in Islam as Allah (SWT) says: “If anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the whole humanity.” [Quran 5:32]
