How can a student of knowledge distinguish between the authentic and the weak among the sayings of the Companions?

The questioner : How can a student of knowledge in this time distinguish between the sayings of the Companions, meaning between the authentic and weak athar, meaning the books that you recommend to us?

The Shaykh : Just as he distinguishes hadith.

The questioner : For hadith, there are books that distinguish the authentic from the weak, but for athar, meaning the sayings of the Companions.

The Shaykh : The same answer. Are there not hadith that do not have chains of narration?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Are there not hadith that do not have chains of narration? What does one do with them? He does not know. Likewise, there are athar that do not have chains of narration, so he cannot... authenticate or weaken them. But there are athar that have chains of narration, and he deals with them as he deals with hadith.

The questioner : Many authors do not pay attention.

The Shaykh : That is another matter to consider.

The questioner : To athar as they pay attention to hadith.

The Shaykh : This is a second matter. I have answered your question.