The ruling on adding to two rak'ahs in the night prayer
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One of the imams prayed the night prayer and concluded it with three rak'ahs,When he concluded, they reminded him, saying: We prayed three, then he stood up and added one, then concluded, then he performed the witr. Is this valid?
First, a person must know that the night prayer is performed in pairs, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. So if one stands up for the third rak'ah by mistake, he must return when he remembers, even if he has already begun it. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated that if a man stands up for the third rak'ah in the night prayer, it is as if he had stood up for the third rak'ah in the Fajr prayer.
Meaning: If he intentionally stands up, the prayer is invalid. If it was by mistake, he must return for the prayer to be valid.
In the example you mentioned, we say: There is no harm in him completing the four rak'ahs. He should complete the four so that he does not have two witr prayers. Then, after completing them, he should pray the witr, as this man did, and there is no harm in that.
First, a person must know that the night prayer is performed in pairs, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. So if one stands up for the third rak'ah by mistake, he must return when he remembers, even if he has already begun it. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated that if a man stands up for the third rak'ah in the night prayer, it is as if he had stood up for the third rak'ah in the Fajr prayer.
Meaning: If he intentionally stands up, the prayer is invalid. If it was by mistake, he must return for the prayer to be valid.
In the example you mentioned, we say: There is no harm in him completing the four rak'ahs. He should complete the four so that he does not have two witr prayers. Then, after completing them, he should pray the witr, as this man did, and there is no harm in that.