The Prophet ﷺ extols the merit of giving an insolvent debtor a respite, saying, “Whoever would love to be shaded by Allah in His shade, let him grant ease to someone in hardship.” Even better than granting a delay is to cancel the debt altogether, for the Almighty says, “Yet if you remit it as charity, that is better for you” (Q 2:280).

By contrast, a debtor who is able to pay may not be placed under interdiction, for there is no need for it. Instead, he is instructed to settle his debts when the creditors demand them, in line with the Prophet’s words, “Delaying payment by one who is affluent is wrongdoing.” In other words, when someone who can repay procrastinates, he commits injustice by withholding the people’s due. If he still refuses to pay, he is imprisoned.

Shaykh Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) said: “Anyone capable of repaying a debt who refuses to do so is compelled by beating and imprisonment. This was explicitly stated by the leading scholars among the Malikis, Shafiʿis, Hanbalis, and others, and I know of no disagreement on the matter.” End quote.

The Prophet ﷺ also said, “Deliberate delay by one who has the means is oppression; it renders his reputation and punishment lawful.” Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and others. “His reputation” means that he may be complained of publicly, while “his punishment” refers to imprisonment. Thus, a debtor who procrastinates in fulfilling what he owes deserves confinement and discretionary chastisement, and the demand upon him is to be reiterated.