Who were the earliest Muslims?

For non Muslim readers this will be a bit heavy going. 

For the Muslim readers this is very important. 

We have to refer to the Quran. 

We have to think. 

And we have to question long held extra Quranic teachings.

Before that what does 'Muslim' mean? Muslim means a submitter, one who is at peace, who follows a way of life of peace etc. You can add on if you want. 

I searched the etymology and found this "from Arabic 'islām ‘submission,’ from 'aslama ‘submit"

There are some religious people who believe that Islam only began with the prophet and the Quran.  In other words, before  the time of the prophet and the Quran there were no muslims. I dont think all of them but some.

So what were Jesus (Isa), Abraham (Ibrahim) and Moses (Musa)?

They were all Muslims. But did they do all the things that Muslims today are taught to believe as being part of Islam?

For example did Jesus perform the haj at Mecca? 

Abraham, who preceded Jesus, 'is believed to have built' the kaaba at Mecca.  

And the Quran says we should all follow the example of Abraham, including the prophet.

 3:95 Say: 'Allah has spoken the truth; therefore follow the creed of Abraham, a man of pure faith and no idolater.'

16:123  Then we inspired thee, 'Follow the faith of Abraham, a 'Hanif, for he was not of the idolaters.'

60:4   A good example has been set for you by Abraham and those with him.

So if Abraham was a good example (uswatan hasanah in Arabic) for the prophet, wouldnt the same apply for Jesus, who appeared between Abraham and the prophet? 

So did Jesus, Moses etc perform the pilgrimage to the kaaba? Or would they have done so, or should they have done so? 

Abraham did declare himself a Muslim.

Surah 2:131 "When his Lord said to him, "Submit (aslimu)" he said, "I submit (aslamtu) to the Lord of the universe."

Hence Abraham was Muslim from much earlier. However from the Quran we do not know what language Abraham spoke. But the Quran is in Arabic and it says Abraham was a submitter ie a Muslim. That is good enough understanding of Abraham.

There are also other Muslims mentioned in the Quran. At the time of his death, one of the Pharaohs wanted to be a Muslim, just like the Children of Israel.

Surah 10:90  We delivered the Children of Israel across the sea. Pharaoh and his troops pursued them, aggressively and sinfully. When drowning became a reality for him, he said, "I believe that there is no god except the One in whom the Children of Israel have believed; I am a submitter (muslimeen)."

"..annahu la ilaaha illaa allathee amanat bihi banoo isra-eela wa ana mina al muslimeena

So at the last minute the Pharaoh  declared himself a muslim (wa ana minal muslimeen). But it was too late for him.

The Pharaoh wanted to be a Muslim like the Children of Israel whom he was pursuing. This was during the time of Moses. Certainly Moses too was a Muslim and certainly the Bani Israel who were with him were Muslims too.

Did any of them perform the pilgrimage to the kaaba or do any other things that Muslim perform today? I dont know.

Some say that yes they may have been Muslims but they may have followed a different shariah (shariah means a way but it is tied to laws and rules). 

Did the people of Moses, Abraham etc follow a different shariah?

Was there a different deen or shariah for Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the prophet?

Surah 42:13  "He decreed for you (SHARA'A = sharia) the same way of life (deen) decreed for Noah, and what we inspired to you, and what we decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: "You shall uphold this one way of life (deen), and do not divide it." The mushrikeen will greatly resent what you invite them to do. Allah redeems to Himself whomever He wills; He guides to Himself only those who totally submit."

"Shara'a lakum" means 'He sharia for you..'  The same deen or way of life that was made a sharia for Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and was also made the sharia (shara'a lakum) for the prophet.

So the deen that was shown to the prophets (shara'a lakum) remain the same throuhout history. 

Submitting oneself to an orderly way of life or deen has been around for a long time. Otherwise the human race would not have survived as well as it has.