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BY: ALFONZO GALVAN   The bill passed on a vote of 69-60, and would ensure breaks during the workday and give workers access to data on how fast they’re working. “We are listening to warehouse workers and acting to protect workers now, and to ensure that their dangerous, high-tech model does not spread to other warehouses and other industries where it could injure more Minnesotans,” bill author Representative Emma Greenman  (DFL–Minneapolis) said in a news release about the vote. “Passing this bill is a necessary step towards ensuring all Minnesotans are safe in the workplace.” According to a news release from the Minnesota House: Employers with 100 or more employees at one warehouse distribution center or 1,000 or more employees at one or more warehouse distribution centers would be affected by the bill, which now goes to the Senate for a vote. The bill also requires such corporations to give their workers written notice of the quotas and standards expected of them, and to explain how performance is measured. The information must be shared in the worker’s preferred language. The performance information must be shared with employees when they are hired, and again two days before any modifications to the…

By: Alfonzo Galvan   Minnesota’s own Abdirahman Kahin of Afro Deli & Grill was named the National Small Business Person of the Year for 2023 at an awards ceremony Monday in Washington, D.C. This prestigious award recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate exceptional leadership and create sustainable, thriving businesses in their communities, according to a news release from the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Our 2023 National Small Business Person of the Year, Minnesota’s Abdirahman Kahin, CEO and owner of Afro Deli & Grill, reflects the best of American entrepreneurship,” the group’s administrator, Isabella Casillas Guzman, said in the release. “Abdirahman has pursued the American dream of business ownership—overcoming challenges, launching multiple food businesses, pivoting during COVID, and lifting local neighborhoods along the way.  He combines great ideas with hard work and diligence, and we are honored that SBA has been a part of his successful and ongoing journey.” The award is given during National Small Business Week, led by the U.S. Small Business Administration for 60 years, from April 30 to May 6. During the week, the SBA recognizes the hard work, ingenuity, and dedication of America’s small businesses and celebrates their contributions to the economy, according to the release. Kahin was named the Minnesota Small Business…

Several Minnesota lawmakers, other elected officials, and community leaders gathered at the state Capitol Wednesday, April 20th 2023 to show solidarity with the Muslim community after two Minneapolis mosques experienced fires this week. Some expressed concerns that mosques are being targeted in hate crimes, and many noted that the attendees at Wednesday afternoon’s news conference showcase the state’s true spirit. Dozens of people, including several local imams, packed the event. “This is how we show up for each other,” said DFL Representative Hodan Hassan, who represents the area in south Minneapolis where the fires occurred. “This is the Minnesota that all of us believe in. This is the Minnesota that we want. In this room is the real Minnesota, but out there, there is some notion that we don’t belong. “I belong in Minnesota—I’m a Minnesotan, but I’m also Muslim Minnesotan and I’m also Somali American, and I am proud of all of my layers… And no one should be afraid to go and pray at their most sacred space.” A fire broke out Sunday evening in a bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center and was quickly extinguished by congregants before it could spread. Another fire broke out Monday at…

I want to work in the financial sector, there is interest involved. I have an interest in working in this field. Please guide me whether I should pursue my career in this sector or not? Please reply soon. Thanking you. You are allowed to work in the financial sector. Expertise in this field is vital for the survival of the community. As Imam Ghazali has stated learning arts or sciences that are crucial for the survival of the society should be encouraged. It is a fard Kifayah or collective duty; in other words, if the community does not have experts in the field, they are guilty before Allah. Therefore, it is okay for you to work in this field if you have the training to serve in this area. However, while doing so, you should avoid that which is haram. Not everything you do in the field is haram. Islamic rule when you deal with cases where there is a mixture of haram and halal is to seek to purify the elements of haram. So, it would help if you cleaned your income by making lots of Istighfaar and giving charities (on top of the obligatory Zakah). Allah says, “Good…

    ASK A MUSLIM SCHOLAR DECEMBER 2021 Is a degree in Islamic studies a requirement for an Islamic scholar? Although having a degree in Islamic studies in itself is not an essential requirement, receiving proper education and training under capable scholars is. Considering that a scholar may be called upon to pronounce a judgement on a question of halal and haram or he may also need to explain verses of the Qur’an and the Hadith, this is easily understandable. To give an Islamic ruling without proper knowledge is highly sinful as it is tantamount to attributing false claims to Allah. As Imam Ibn al-Qayyim has stated, it is akin to committing shirk or associating partners with Allah. Moreover, the Prophet has also warned us against interpreting the Qur’an without proper knowledge. He said, “whoever interprets the Qur’an according to his own personal opinion, let him find his abode in hell-fire.” Because of the above-mentioned considerations, Islamic scholars have stipulated rigorous requirements for a scholar eligible to pronounce rulings. Essentially, besides possessing thorough mastery of the Arabic language and ancillary sciences, he must possess thorough knowledge of Islamic sources, namely the Qur’an and the Sunnah. He must also be fully…