Many of his contemporaries spoke of Muhammad’s sect as a new religion, we just don’t know the true contents of his thoughts as the compilation of his revelations, the “Q” text, has been lost.
Unlike John the prester, Europe did establish relations with a Muhammadan sect in Arabia and allied with them against the “idolaters”. But we don’t know how much did the Muhammadans’ creed reflects Muhammad’s original teachings.
So, would a new religion be founded if the Q was preserved?