[halfstreet]

I had the oppurtunity to listen to the Tafseer Halaqa of a Deobandi scholar last night and then I cross checked in my mind with other English Tafseer Halaqas of scholars around UK.

I have also had the oppurtunity to sit in Tafseer Halaqas of Jamaat-e-Islami & Ikhwani scholars.

The difference is that Qur'aan Tafseers of Jamaat-e-Islami & Ikhwani scholars flow better and appear more lucid to the ear. from a laymen's perspective.

The Tafseer of Deobandi Ulama tends to be full of information (Masha'Allah) and Ahkaam but that also tends to break the natural flow of the Qur'aan.

In Urdu I like Tafseer-e-Usmani over Maariful Qur'aan because it flows and it is very lucid. I have discussed Tafseer of Maulana Maududi (RA) & Syed Qutb over Maariful Qur'aan with many people and people find the other two more lucid and flowing.

The first Tafseer I read in my life was of Maulana Maududi (RA) and as a school student in Pakistan with average Urdu I found it easy to read and lucid, I then read Maariful Qur'aan years later and no doubt it is infinitely superior in providing knowledge but it doesn't flow as well.

Apparently the new Urdu Tafseer of Mufti Taqi Usmani (DB) is designed to flow and to be easy on the reader and I am still waiting for a copy of it.

I have also read Syed Qutb (RA)'s Tafseer and no doubt that it flows and takes the reader along very nicely.

Those who don't know what I am saying listen to the Tafseer sessions of Dr Israr Ahmed and see how it flows and he is using Maulana Maududi (RA)'s Tafseer in front of him.

In my youth I heard a crackly old tape of Maulana Ahmed Ali Lahori (RA) Tafseer from Lahore and the Qur'aan seemed to flow naturally and it kind of mesmerised you (even on a crackly tape).

Also I have heard and read old Bayans of Maulana Ghulam Habib Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi (RA) and the same thing the Qur'aan seemed to be flowing.

This is just a personal opinion and others have the right to disagree.