How can we act upon a Hadith that early scholars deemed weak but Al-Albani authenticated, or abandon a Hadith that earlier scholars authenticated but he rejected, taking into account the proximity of early scholars to the narrators, the Companions, and the Tabi'in?

Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani is neither among the Companions nor the Tabi'un; rather, he is a contemporary (born 1333 AH/1914 CE and passed away 1420 AH/1999 CE). Sacred knowledge does not distinguish between early and late scholars, and truth is not known by its speaker but by its conformity to evidence. Early scholars differed in their rulings on narrators and hadith, which necessitates the presence of a later scholar to weigh their opinions. If you are not a scholar, you can identify a trustworthy scholar by asking reliable scholars about him. Shaykh al-Albani was praised by major scholars such as Ibn Baz and al-Uthaymin, and by academic institutions like the Islamic Fiqh Academy, the Muslim World League, and universities. Despite his knowledge, the Shaykh is not infallible; he may be correct and he may err, but his correctness outweighs his errors. He did not uniquely authenticate or weaken any hadith contrary to the early scholars.