Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
Can people who are unable to repay their debts travel the path to Allah?
If they are sincere in desiring to repay their debts by any means possible then there is no doubt that they can. The sign of this sincerity is that whenever they earn some money they put it towards repaying their debts and do not spend it on things that they do not need and which their lower selves desire. As long as they have this sincerity they can travel the path, no matter how long it takes to repay their debts. Those who are veiled are the ones who do not have a sincere desire to repay their debts and those who do not repay them when they are able to do so.