There is also a form in which goodness reaches the act through an intermediary1. Yet this intermediary is treated as absent for the classification.
This form is called attached to intrinsic goodness (Mulhaq bi-Hasan li-aynihi). Zakat, fasting and Hajj are its examples.
Why is the intermediary treated this way? In these examples, the basis connecting the act to goodness is created or bestowed by Allah, rather than created by the person's voluntary act. The next examples show the difference.
1. Intermediary: something through which goodness is connected to the act. “Treated as absent” does not mean that it physically does not exist.
- An Intermediary Treated as Absent