Fasting Friday alone is forbidden because it is a day of du’a, dhikr and worship, such as ghusl, going to the prayer early and waiting for the prayer, listening to the khutbah and reciting a lot of dhikr after it. So it is mustahabb not to fast so that one will have more energy to do these duties.

An authentic Hadith indicates that fasting six days of Shawwal is Sunnah. It is not correct to oppose this Hadith with the reasons that some scholars cite for this fast being disliked such as the fear that an ignorant person might think that this is part of Ramadan or the fear that people may think this is obligatory.

Salat al-tawbah is proven from Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) and it is prescribed when the Muslim repents from any sin, whether it is a major sin or a minor sin. The Prayer of Repentance may be offered at any time, including times when prayer is disallowed.