I have read a fascinating analysis that suggests Islam is actually just the further development of something like Ebionite Christianity, and that this evolution may have happened among Arabs living in Mesopotamia, with the life and location of Mohamed being a later construction.
that would be an interesting answer to your question, if true.
I am agree with Eric2. There is Narrations when Mohammed believe got revelation, his wife bring to someone who knowledgeable about scriptures, name Waraqa, looks like he had Gospel of Thomas
1. Gospel of Thomas :
(Thomas:31) Jesus said, “No prophet is accepted in his own village; no physician heals those who know him.”
Hadith Narrations:
Waraqa said, “This was the same one who keeps the secrets whom Allah had sent to Moses (angel Gabriel). I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” God’s Apostle asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, “Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility
A prophet will be rejected from his hometown, same as Muhammad
2. Angels and Prophets will come
(Thomas:88) Jesus said, “The angels and the prophets will come to you and give to you those things you (already) have. And you too, give them those things which you have, and say to yourselves, ‘When will they come and take what is theirs?'”
“The Prophet returned to Khadija while his heart was beating rapidly. She took him to Waraqa bin Naufal who was a Christian convert and used to read the Gospel in Arabic Waraqa asked (the Prophet), “What do you see?” When he told him, Waraqa said, “That is the same angel whom Allah sent to the Prophet) Moses. Should I live till you receive the Divine Message, I will support you strongly.”
Close idea between Gospel of Thomas and hadith
3. Prove from point 1 and 2 that Waraqa may have Gospel of Thomas, and as we know, Gospel of Thomas is hold by Ebionite sicne they refer to James the Just as the leader
(Thomas:12) The disciples said to Jesus, “We know that you will depart from us. Who is to be our leader?”
Jesus said to them, “Wherever you are, you are to go to James the righteous, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.”
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Assuming if by earliest christians you are meaning Jesus and his direct disciples I would suggest that the closest would be what are sometimes referred to as “new religious movements” but oftentimes also termed “cults”
Looking into one of these new religious movements, (a number sprang up in America in the 60’s and 70’s) you may try to find one of these with
a) an apocalyptic worldview (imminent unfolding of world centered on God)
b) promoters of universal peace (ie avoid any new religious organizations that were/are militant, or divide peoples’ value based on race or sex – that was not Jesus’ teachings)
c) accepting and belief based upon judeo-christian culture and scripture, AND
d) a messiah figure
seems like if you find a religion like that you will see something (given 2000 yr difference in times) closest as possible to what it was like in Jesus time
BDEhrman
FreedomBen
evgendob
Robert
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