Thomas, in the Summa Contra Gentiles, does take what can be seen by reason, with an emphasis on what the Muslims are able to see from reason, and works from there.
This work was written who was written at the instigation of St. Raymond of Penafort, who was very big on the mission to the Muslims (IIRC, which I do not guarantee he for a time oversaw the Dominican missions to the Muslims of the 13th century, which are the only such missionary effort to this group that has had substantial success.
There is such a thing as bitter zeal; there is also such a thing as false irenicism.
I think that well-formed theologians need to continue to read Vatican II and all of the other counsels. I think people who haven’t read the Catechism several times or something like the Imitation of Christ and the Bible should focus on these things rather than delving into Vatican II. I also think that my thoughts are going to have a minimal impact on people’s actions.
And what Catholic missions to the muslims have occured since VCII?
We now have a pope claiming proslytism is a sin and signing documents with muslims claiming God wills a plurality of religion. All in the “Spirit of VCII”!
And I don’t recall any preconciliar catholic catechisms teaching Muslims worship the same God that Catholics worship or that proslytism is a sin.