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

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, “Trust 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 attention.

“People don’t just come in with prescriptions,” Huq says. “They come in with stories, about their rent, their children, sometimes even their marriages. We listen. And when we can’t solve something ourselves, we connect them with people who can.”

That simple act of listening has made the pharmacies a hub for the community. Staff often direct customers to local social services, medical clinics, or family support organizations. It’s a model that treats healthcare as an ongoing relationship rather than a transaction, one that sees patients as neighbors, not numbers.

This approach has not gone unnoticed. Salaam Pharmacy has earned multiple recognitions for its service, including certificates for Outstanding Partner in Health Care, Community Support, and Dedication to Health and Community Affairs. Each award, whether from local organizations or healthcare networks, tells a story of trust built one person at a time. But as Huq puts it, “No amount of recognition or awards can equal the feeling of happiness and gratefulness we feel when we’re able to help someone and see that relief on their face.”

An-Noor Pharmacy, under Stephanie Huq’s direction, shares the same mission. Serving parts of Brooklyn and Queens, the pharmacy extends the family’s reach in providing personalized care to underserved neighborhoods. Together, the two businesses reflect a belief that success in healthcare should be measured not only in profit but in people helped.

The Huqs’ commitment is also a family tradition. Their children and younger relatives have all been involved in the work in one way or another, learning from an early age what it means to serve a community. “We wanted to make sure the next generation would be in good hands,” Huq explains. “If they grow up seeing us treat people with respect, they’ll carry that forward in whatever they do.”

What emerges from their story is a portrait of small business as a civic institution. At a time when independent pharmacies struggle against corporate chains and insurance bureaucracy, Salaam and An-Noor stand as reminders that the neighborhood pharmacist still plays a vital role in public health. They are the first to answer questions, the first to reassure, and often the first to notice when something is wrong.

Through the years, Mujjahid and Stephanie Huq have turned that role into something larger than business, a calling rooted in compassion and community responsibility. Whether it’s helping a patient navigate complex insurance paperwork or referring someone to a social worker, they see every interaction as part of the same mission.

In Queens and Brooklyn, where people from every background converge, that kind of service has a ripple effect. It builds networks of care and trust that reach far beyond the counter. And in the quiet rhythm of their work, the Huqs continue a legacy that embodies the best of New York’s small-business spirit: resilience, generosity, and a belief that real success is measured in lives touched.