Not all of the Shaikh’s encounters in Damascus were happy ones. Many of the scholars and theologians there, as elsewhere, envied or hated him – not the least because he had the favor of the prince and his highest officials. Their claim, though, was always that his religion was suspect. One scholar who defended him was Kamaluddin ash-Shami. “Those of you who deny him and condemn him and claim not to understand him, come to me!” he offered. “I will speak in your tongue, help you in your difficulties and eliminate your doubts.” It is not clear that his offer was very widely accepted

In his turn, Ibn Arabi was none too fond of the scholars of Damascus, but their opposition to him was not the reason. He disliked them because they sold their knowledge for profit, and that money had become a veil preventing them from seeing the Truth. He hated money, and he hated the people who made money their god.

Someone once gave him an enormously valuable palace as a gift. Immediately after he accepted it, a begger came and asked him for money. He had none. “O man in need,” he said, “I have no possessions except this palace. Please take it, for the love of Allah!” And he gave the beggar the palace.

(ref : Bayrak, Tosun (1997). “Ibn Arabi Divine Governance of the Human Kingdom”, pg xv. pub: Fons vitae, Louisville)