To understand Ghamidi Sahab’s take on how to approach hadith corpus from an epistemological stand-point, you’re requested to please go through all the resources provided in the following response or at the very least, go through the text and videos provided under the heading “placement of Hadith in the overall framework of religion“:

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Ghamidi Sahab is of view (and so are some other scholars and researchers like ibn-e-khuldun and Shah wali-ullah Muhadis Dehelvi) that in addition to being a Prophet, our Prophet had other roles in the society i.e. being an elder of the society who gets influenced by the medicine and culture of his time and gives advice to others in his capacity as an elder and not in his capacity as a Prophet. Therefore, Prophet’s role in religious capacity and his role as an elder of the society always need to be separated while studying Hadith Corpus. Therefore, all the ahadith need to be studied separately whether they are said by the Prophet (SWS) in His capacity as Prophet or in his capacity as an elder of the society, with advices ranging from medicinal to cultural domains of His time.

One example to understand this is famous cross-pollination event in Medina in which it appeared to people as if Prophet (sws) prohibited that practice, and people misconstrued it as religion, but later on Prophet (sws) clarified that such worldly opinions of Prophet (sws) are not religion:

– It was narrated from Musa bin Talhah that his father said: “The Messenger of Allah and I passed by some people who were at the top of their date palms. He said: ‘What are these people doing?’ They said: ‘They are pollinating them, putting the male with the female so that it will be pollinated.’ The Messenger of Allah said: ‘I do not think that it is of any use.’ They were told about that, so they stopped doing it. The Messenger of Allah was told about that and he said: ‘If it benefits them, let them do it. I only expressed what I thought. Do not blame me for what I say based on my own thoughts, but if I narrate something to you from Allah, then follow it, for I will never tell lies about Allah, may He Glorified and Exalted is He.” (Sahih Muslim – 6126)

– ( … ) It was narrated from Anas that the Prophet passed by some people who were pollinating (palm trees) and said: “If you do not do it, it may be better.” The trees produced bad dates, then he passed by them and said: “What is the matter with your palm trees?” They said: “You said such-and-such.” He said: “You know better about your worldly affairs.” (Sahih Muslim – 6128)

Same predicament happens when people misconstrue certain medicinal benefits (or e.g. hadith forbidding certain sleep postures, what to do when a fly falls in a vessel etc.) mentioned in Hadith Corpus as religious injunctions (Tibb-e-Nabwi etc.). Videos of Ghamidi Sahab available in the following threads shed further light on this matter:

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Coming to the Hadith in Question, just because it is in Hadith Corpus, doesn’t necessarily makes it a religious injunction. This hadith also falls within elderly advice by the Prophet (sws) in his capacity as an elder of the society and not in His capacity as a Prophet. In one of the narratives, this becomes crystal clear when complete Hadith is being read:

“When the wings of the night spread – or when evening comes – keep your children in, for the devils come out at that time. Then when part of the night has passed, let them go. And close the doors and mention the name of Allaah, for the shaytaan (devil) does not open a closed door. And tie up your waterskins and mention the name of Allaah, and cover your vessels and mention the name of Allaah, even if you only put something over them, and extinguish your lamps.”

(Source: https://sunnah.com/muslim:2012e)

As it can be seen that covering of utensils, extinguishing of lamps have no religious bearing, but an advice of caution by an elder of the society as it can be seen in another narrative it is mentioned that ” The mouse may set the house on fire over its inhabitants.” if one fails to extinguish their lamps at night. (Source: https://sunnah.com/muslim:2012d). Similarly, restraining children from going out at that particular time is another advice of caution along the same lines, considering the dangers posed for children in those particular circumstances, the specific details of which are not covered on Hadith Corpus. The mentioning of reciting Allah’s name over vessels and on the door is an attitude that is required of every Muslim irrespective of the reason behind such an act. Similarly, use of devil could be a metaphor to represent harm that may befall if one recklessly ignores these suggestions. Therefore, it can be said with confidence that this is not a religious injunction.