Awareness of angelic-transformation

This mode of awareness is represented as the transformation of human to angelic consciousness and vice-versa. The human to angelic change is referred to as occurring post-mortem. For example, the Ishim, angels of the 5th heaven are said to be the souls of the saints; or otherwise, it is said that all the Jewish patriarchs were transformed into great angels of one of the highest three grades. On the other hand, there are angels who became men. Jacob (Israel) is one who is said to have pre-existed in heaven as an angel. In variant legends of fallen angels some of these also become men. For those who become angels after death, it is said that the effective cause is another angel, the angel of death (with dozens of names) who separates the body from the soul. For the holy, the Jews say this angel is the Shekirah; Christians say it is Michael who guides souls to eternal light, and Muslims say it is Azrael. From these personifications it is seen that the transformation of awareness called "death" was viewed as the culmination of psychic life according to the psychology of the three faiths. Mohammed's death path, led by Gabriel, (not Azrael) took him on an ascent (miradj) through the angelic spheres of awareness to the presence of Allah.