Imam involved fiqh in the arena of building a system. That is while fiqh used to be completely alien to this arena.
Of course, faqihs had been speaking about the issue of Wilayat-e Faqih for a thousand years, but because there was no hope of achieving it, they never attended to the details.
Imam, however, introduced it into the main fiqhi discussions. He discussed it in Najaf Seminary and held cogent and convincing debates for experts in those areas.
He also introduced the issue of the system’s interests – which are the same as public interests: the system’s interests are no different from public interests – into fiqh.
He expanded on the well-known usuli and fiqhi concept of “tazahom” and “aham and mohem” [system of prioritizing between various mandatory legal rulings] – that used to be utilized for personal and small affairs – to the sphere of public affairs according to which, the system’s interests and the concept of “aham and mohem” become interconnected.
He introduced these concepts into fiqh which gives fiqh a great opportunity.
In other words, it gives fiqh the freedom to expand its sphere of work.
In my opinion, Islamic seminaries should appreciate the value of this and they should give it a warm reception.
Of course, what Imam did in the area of fiqh was systematic and methodical and in the words of Imam part of “fiqh-e Jawaheri” [reference to the standard encyclopedia of fiqh taught in seminaries].
There is no distortion in fiqh. What Imam did was to correctly utilize common fiqhi tools, which are available to all faqihs.