156 THE ARAB AL-BIRUNI ON HINDU RELIGION the term, has as its object that which was unknown before, whilst not knowing does not apply to God at any time or in any condition." Further the pupil asks: " Do you attribute other qualities to him besides those you have mentioned? ' The master says: " He is height, absolute in the idea, not in space, for he is sublime beyond all existence in any space. He is the pure, absolute good, longed for by every created being. He is the knowledge free from the defilement of forgetfulness and not-knowing." The pupil asks: " Do you attribute to him speech or not? r ' The master says: " As he knows, he doubt- less also speaks." The pupil asks: "If he speaks because he knows, what, then, is the difference between him and the knowing sages who have spoken of their knowing? ' The master says: " The difference be- tween them is time, for they have learned in time and spoken in time, after having been not-knowing and not-speaking. By speech they have transferred their knowledge to others. Therefore their speaking and acquiring knowledge take place in time. And as divine matters have no connection with time, God is knowing and speaking from eternity. It was he who spoke to Brahma and to others of the first beings in different ways. On the one he bestowed a book; for the other he opened a door, a means of communicating with him; a third he inspired so that he obtained by cogitation what God bestowed upon him." The pupil asks: " Whence has he this knowing? " The master answers: " His knowing is the same from
