▁lack ▁of ▁prov isions . ▁The ▁Jews , ▁initially ▁over conf ident ▁in ▁their ▁strength , ▁failed ▁to ▁prepare ▁even ▁enough ▁water ▁supplies ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁sie ge . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁campaign , ▁the ▁Muslim s ' ▁hung er ▁caused ▁them ▁to ▁sla ugh ter ▁and ▁cook ▁several ▁ass es ▁which ▁they ▁had ▁taken ▁during ▁their ▁con quest . ▁Yet ▁no ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁Muslim ▁army ▁had ▁e aten ▁that ▁meat ▁as ▁Muhammad ▁didn ' t ▁see ▁the ▁men ▁were ▁at ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁star v ation ▁to ▁allow ▁it . ▁ ▁Muhammad , ▁who ▁had ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁e ating ▁of ▁horse , ▁m ule , ▁and ▁ass ▁meat ▁was ▁forb idden , ▁made ▁the ▁exception ▁that ▁one ▁can ▁eat ▁forb idden ▁food s ▁so ▁long ▁as ▁scarc ity ▁leaves ▁no ▁other ▁option . ▁ ▁Fall ▁of ▁al - Q am us ▁fort ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁for ts ▁at ▁an - N at at ▁and ▁those ▁at ▁ash - Sh i qq ▁were ▁captured , ▁there ▁remained ▁the ▁last ▁and ▁the ▁heavily ▁guard ed ▁for tr ess ▁called ▁al - Q am us , ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁which ▁last ed ▁between ▁th ir teen ▁and ▁nin ete en ▁days . ▁ ▁Several ▁attempts ▁by ▁Muslim s ▁to ▁capture ▁this ▁cit adel ▁in ▁some ▁single ▁comb ats ▁failed . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁attempt ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁Ab u ▁Bak r ▁who ▁took ▁the ▁b anner ▁and ▁fought , ▁but ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁succeed . ▁ ▁U mar ▁then ▁charged ▁ahead ▁and