Question posed to Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaimin [rahimahullah]:
Q: Does fasting have any social benefits?
A: Yes, it has social benefits. Among them are the people feeling that they are one nation (Ummah). They eat at one time and fast during one time. The wealthy feels the favour of Allaah and he empathizes with the poor. The dangers of Satan are lessened for the son of Adam. Also, it (fasting) contains fear of Allaah and fear of Allaah strengthens the ties between the individuals of the society.
