بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
One big misconception about Islam is that it started with the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). This mistake is usually made by the non-Muslim community but even quite a lot of people from this Ummah also believe in this notion. If one was to do a quick search on the origin of Islam, almost all the results mention that it was with the prophet (ﷺ) many years after the introduction of Christianity (approximately 600 years) making Islam “one of the youngest religions”.
We must first understand what Islam means by definition. A simple way to put it is submission to Allah. When Adam (the first human created) was first sent down to earth he was sent with guidance. Allah mentions in the Qur’an:
“We said, “Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.” 2:38
This proves that Islam was not originated with the prophet (ﷺ) and the Qur’an was not the first scripture sent as guidance. We as Muslims understand that there were prophets and messengers sent long before the birth of Muhammad (ﷺ) thus making Islam the original way of life.
Allah knows best.