Posts

Mujjahid Huq: “My Paradise Lies Beneath Her Feet” and the Leadership We Don’t Applaud

Image
  Leadership is often measured by visibility. Who speaks the loudest. Who moves the fastest. Who builds something that can be pointed to, scaled, or shared. But some of the most consequential acts of leadership leave no public record at all. There is a story, preserved in classical Islamic tradition, that offers a different measure of success — one rooted not in ambition, but in restraint. A man once left his home in Farghaanah, in Central Asia, intending to perform a voluntary pilgrimage to Makkah. Along the way, he stopped in Nishapur to visit the scholar Abu Uthmaan Al-Khairi. When the traveler offered a greeting, the scholar did not respond. The silence unsettled him. How, he wondered, could a man of learning ignore a simple salaam? According to the tradition, Abu Uthmaan perceived the traveler’s unspoken frustration and replied with a question instead of an apology: How can someone set out for pilgrimage while leaving behind a mother who is ill and grieving? The words landed w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mujjahid Huq on the New Staycation: How Airbnb Is Reshaping Local Travel

Image
  A staycation rarely looks like travel on paper. There are no airport lines, no checked bags, no long itineraries. Yet for a growing number of travelers, the most appealing escape is the one that stays close to home. The goal is not distance. It is disruption of routine, a change of setting, and time that feels genuinely restorative. That shift has helped push alternative lodging further into the mainstream, and few platforms are as closely tied to the change as Airbnb. Once best known for spare-room rentals and budget-friendly stays, Airbnb has matured into a marketplace where privacy, design, and neighborhood access often matter as much as price. For travelers choosing local getaways, those factors can determine whether a stay feels like an ordinary night away or a true reset. “People don’t just want a bed. They want a place that helps them feel away, even if they’re only a few miles from home,” said  Mujjahid Ul Huq , an Airbnb host. “When the space is comfortable and the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Healing Over Hype: Mujjahid Huq on Why The Cannabis Industry’s Next Growth Curve May Look More Like a Clinic Than a Club

Image
  As the cannabis market settles into maturity, professionals such as pharmacist and entrepreneur Mujjahid Huq are testing whether credibility, not image, will define who stays in business. Walk through parts of Manhattan or Brooklyn today and you’ll see how cannabis retail has entered its lifestyle era. Many dispensaries look like they were designed for social media. Walls glow with color, product shelves mimic tech showrooms, and staff are trained to talk in the language of wellness and aspiration. For a while, that image worked. It helped normalize a new industry and made cannabis appear accessible. But the market is shifting. Sales in New York have grown, yet competition is rising just as fast. Behind the branding, a quieter question is emerging: when the novelty fades, what will keep customers coming back? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cannabis use among adults over 55 has doubled in the last five years. Many in this group are turning to cannabis to manage...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mujjahid Huq and the Queens Tradition of Turning Everyday Struggles into Civic Power

Image
  In Queens, politics often begins far from the chambers of government. It starts in the places where people live, work, and gather: corner pharmacies, grocery stores, and small businesses that serve as community anchors. For longtime resident and small business   owner Mujjahid Huq , civic engagement has always been less about slogans and more about survival. His story reflects a broader movement across the borough, one that connects economic resilience, cultural identity, and a growing generation of local leaders such as Helal Sheikh and   Zohran Mamdani . Huq, who built a career as a pharmacist in the borough, represents the kind of immigrant success story that defines Queens. His family came to the United States decades ago seeking opportunity and stability, values that have guided many South Asian and Muslim families who settled in the area. Along the way, Huq became a quiet advocate for fair business practices and for protecting the neighborhood economy that support...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mujjahid Huq: Pharmacies Turn Service Into a Family Tradition of Care

Image
  In a borough known for its diversity and drive,  Mujjahid Huq  has built something that feels increasingly rare: A business rooted as much in community service as in commerce. Through Salaam Pharmacy, which he owns, and An-Noor Pharmacy, owned and managed by his wife Stephanie Huq, the couple has made their livelihood about more than filling prescriptions. For them, it’s about filling a deeper need for trust, compassion, and human connection in everyday healthcare. Over the years, Salaam Pharmacy has become a familiar stop for residents of East New York and surrounding neighborhoods. Its shelves carry medicine and medical supplies, but what sets it apart is the environment of warmth that regular customers have come to expect. The business motto, “T rust in Us — We Care ,” is not a slogan crafted by marketers but a reflection of how the Huqs approach their work. They have built their pharmacies around the idea that healthcare must begin with empathy and personal attentio...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mujjahid Huq Believes Cannabis Professionals Are The True Advocates For Reform And Justice

Image
  Mujjahid Huq: A New Era, A Persistent Stigma Cannabis has entered a new chapter. Legalization continues to spread across the United States, public opinion is shifting, and research is correcting decades of misinformation. Yet stigma persists. Despite growing acceptance, the industry faces a pivotal question: who should lead the conversation about reform and justice? For  Mujjahid Huq , a longtime advocate for equity in cannabis, the answer is clear. The people most qualified to carry this responsibility are cannabis professionals themselves, especially those who have lived through the consequences of prohibition. Why Corporations Cannot Lead the Way Mujjahid Huq is blunt about the risks of leaving reform in the hands of large corporations. “When billion-dollar companies talk about social justice, it is usually for appearances, not principles,” he says. History provides reasons to be cautious. From tobacco’s pivot to vaping to food giants profiting from unhealthy products, co...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mujjahid Huq On The Social Side Of Cannabis: Why Community Matters More Than Marketing

Image
  In the rush to capture market share in New York’s emerging cannabis industry, many retailers are betting on the power of celebrity endorsements, slick branding, and curated lifestyle aesthetics. Storefronts are opening with neon signage, high-gloss interiors, and Instagram-ready walls designed to lure younger consumers. But  Mujjahid Huq , a licensed pharmacist and entrepreneur, is offering a very different vision. For him, the future of cannabis retail is not about hype-it’s about humanity. “People today are savvy,” Huq says. “They know when marketing is fake. If I were to build a cannabis business, I’d want it rooted in humility, transparency, and service-values I can stand behind as a healthcare professional and as a person of faith.” Beyond the Instagram Aesthetic The cannabis market has grown rapidly since legalization in New York, but much of the industry’s energy has been focused on younger demographics-glamorizing cannabis through music, celebrity tie-ins, and lifest...
Post a Comment
Read more