Shaykh ‘Arafāt ibn Ḥasan:
And likewise, among the things that people may be exposed to because of the devils, is the abduction of children. They may abduct a child, and even an adult. For this reason, it is mentioned in the two Ṣaḥīḥs that when the Prophet ﷺ ordered us to keep our children indoors—why did he command us to restrain our children when night falls or when we enter the evening? He ﷺ said, "Keep your children indoors." Why? He mentioned that devils spread out at that time. Okay, and what is the benefit (of this command)? They (devils & jinn) may harm them or even abduct them, as scholars and commentators have said; they also may defile them with impurity.
And that's why we find that some children go missing at this time when the jinn spread out. Given this situation, the Prophet ﷺ forbade children from going out at this time due to the proliferation of devils. He ﷺ ordered us to close the doors, extinguish the lamps, and mention the Name of Allāh the Almighty—the ḥadīth is well-known.
They (the devils) move powerfully and extensively at night because they love darkness, which enhances their satanic powers. It has been authentically reported in the Muṣannaf of ʿAbdur-Razzāq that a man during the time of ʿUmar, may Allāh be pleased with him, disappeared for four years. ʿUmar was about to order the divorce of the missing man's wife, when suddenly the man returned. ʿUmar asked him, "Where were you?" He told him that the jinn had abducted him and that he lived among them. This is an authentic report. Therefore, this is evidence that abduction does happen and is real.