Is it valid for the imam to pray eleven rak'ahs, including the witr, in the standing prayer during the last ten nights?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. A questioner says: If the imam prays eleven rak'ahs, including the witr, in the last ten nights, is this action valid, or should he follow the congregation in their prayer of tarawih and the final standing prayer?

Answer:
A Muslim should not forbid himself [from doing good] or be affected by the words of those who cause confusion among the people. These are the ones who have appeared in this time, displaying the traits of scholarship and knowledge, yet they are ignorant. They have become discouraging people from striving in the last ten nights, telling them, "Pray tarawih and that is sufficient," or "Pray at the end of the night and that is sufficient for tarawih; do not pray at the beginning of the night and the end of the night." This is discouragement and ignorance, may Allah protect us from it, and it deprives people of these great virtues by casting doubt on them.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when the last ten nights entered, would enliven his night. He enlivened his night. How did he enliven it? With talk and gossip, or with prayer and tahajjud? He enlivened it with prayer. He would perform tahajjud. He would strive in the last ten nights in a way he did not strive in other times, because it is the end of the month and because it is the most likely time for the Night of Decree to occur. He would perform i'tikaf in the last ten nights and would single out the last ten nights for acts of worship he did not do from the beginning of the month. So these who discourage people in the last ten nights, who cast doubt on them, their words are not to be considered, and one should not pay attention to them.
It is obligatory that the imam who does this action be removed and distanced from the imamate. Because he has caused confusion among the people and deprived them of these great virtues, [by saying] to perform tahajjud at the end of the night and tarawih prayer at the beginning of the night. It is required that he be removed from the imamate. He can pray however he wishes in his house, or not pray, or, if Allah wills, not pray tarawih or not pray tahajjud. How does he forbid himself?
As for him forbidding the people with him and causing confusion among the people, this is not permissible. Some of them may do this out of laziness. He is the imam of a mosque and does not want to tire himself with tarawih and tahajjud, and he seeks out these cold excuses for himself. In reality, he is not fit to be an imam for the people. The one who is fit to be an imam for the people is the one who encourages them to good, and who enlivens these nights, their beginning and their end, with prayer and tahajjud. This is the imam who is sincere to himself and sincere to the Muslims. As for this lazy person who discourages the people, causes confusion for them, or claims knowledge when he has no knowledge, if he referred to the Sunnah and saw the action of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he would realize that he is mistaken in this statement. Yes.