What is the Sharia ruling concerning Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti and his strange Sufi practices, such as his defense of Ibn 'Arabi?

Imam Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti was Ash'ari in creed, as is evident from the last part of Tafsir al-Jalalayn, where he interprets the verses concerning attributes (ayat al-sifat) according to the Ash'ari method. However, at times, he adopted the methodology of the Salaf in interpreting some verses of attributes.

Al-Suyuti had a Sufi path; he took the Shadhili tariqa and believed that the path of Junayd and his companions was a sound one. He defended Ibn 'Arabi in his رسالة "تنبيه الغبي بتبرئة ابن عربي" (Letter: Alerting the Ignorant by Absolving Ibn 'Arabi), where he considered Ibn 'Arabi a saint and advised against looking into his books, attempting to absolve Ibn 'Arabi from atrocious sayings like wahdat al-wujud (unity of existence).

The correct stance regarding Imam Al-Suyuti and other scholars is to clarify a scholar's error if he errs, while maintaining respectful discourse, for the truth is more deserving of being followed, and an error is to be refuted to its author.