The importance of Suhoor
Suhoor is the early morning meal which you must take part in before your early morning prayers (Fajr) just before dawn break. Like breakfast Suhoor is your most important meal of the day during Ramadan. It is your only opportunity to stock up on energy to last you throughout the day. Think of yourself as a battery, if you're not charged well enough then you're bound to run short of power and become exhausted at some point during the day. You need enough energy to sustain yourself and get through the day without running short for Iftar.
Consume high in energy food, such as bread, whole wheat, high-in-fibre cereal, low-in-fat milk, fruits, dates, bananas, yogurts, pancakes and tomatoes among a whole host of other things. Do try and fend off any cravings you might have for coffee or tea as it will only dehydrate you and will not help whilst you're fasting. Most important of all drink plenty of water even though you may think you're full, an extra glass of water won't hurt, remember you'll be going without food or water for almost ¾ of the day. Water does wonders to the body, keeping you and your brain hydrated at all times. I recommend this article for further reading on drinking water during Suhoor.
Zakat is commonly referred to as either a tax or as charity. Neither of these is accurate as Zakat is a divine duty. Zakat is considered a right of the poor over the rich. Withholding it is tantamount to depriving the poor of their God-given right.
