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Salaam Hasnet,
Thank you very much for your question.
Allah commands us clearly in the Holy Qur’an to do da`wah (inviting and calling people to Islam – peacefully) to Ahl al-Kitab (People of the Book), namely Jews and Christians. In Surah 3, verse 64: *{Say: "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you; that we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, lords and patrons other than God." If then they turn back, say ye: "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to God's will].}*
In this verse, we get clear guidance as to how we should go about inviting People of the Book to Islam. Allah says that we need to emphasize in our da`wah efforts, the common ground between them and us. As you must know there are so many common factors that unite Muslims and People of the Book. These are such as their belief in God and the prophets.
It is true that within the details of each creed, many differences exist. But instead of stressing the differences, we should highlight the similarities. For instance, believing in One God: We need to point out to both the Jews and Christians that we too believe in the same Creator and Sustainer of the universe, in which they believe.
Of course, this is without denying the fact that we conceive the nature of this Creator in a different way than the way they perceive Him. This is one idea that can serve as a common platform as it were, for dialogue.
The second point is the belief in all prophets of God, whom were sent to lead mankind out of darkness to light. It is particularly important to underline the fact that Muslims hold Abraham, Moses and Jesus as their own prophets. This means that their mission was to guide mankind to the path of God, or in other words, to teach them the religion of God.
The third point you need to clarify is the idea that after death all humans have to face the judgment of God. There is no escape from it. Thus, this fact should necessarily convince all of us to lead a life of complete submission to God’s will in this world.
Now, as mentioned before, there are differences in the details of belief and practice, which may be pointed out from the Islamic point of view. In that case, we need to explain – as we believe – the validity of the Islamic position vis-à-vis the Jewish and Christian positions. This we can do in the light of their own scriptures and common sense. But how do we go about this?
First of all, we must speak about the belief in One God. This is clearly and categorically stated in the Torah, as well as the Christian Bible. If God is one, and all humans are the creatures of God, then it is only reasonable to hold that all humans are equal before God.
Here, the idea of God showing special favoritism towards a people, on account of their being a particular race, seems to be unreasonable. This means that the “chosen” status of the Children of Israel cannot go so far as to show God to be violating His own justice and fairness.
Similarly, you need to refer to the point that believing in all prophets, sent by the One and Only God, preached the same religion. This means that Jesus could not have preached a religion different from that of Abraham or Moses.
In fact, both the Old Testament and the New Testament underline the Oneness of God. Accordingly, this debates the possibility of any prophet being God. This in itself, should refute the consideration of Jesus (peace be upon him) to be God.
For a comparison between Islam and Christianity, please visit the sites: Bible Tips
Muslim Christian Dialogue The Islamic and Christian Views of Jesus Islam and Christianity: A Comparative Analysis - here you may read books by Ahmed Deedat, freely available online.
You might also find the article: The Bible Led Me to Islam - by Abdul Malik LeBlanc – useful.
Then, for a comparison between Islam and Judaism, you may refer to the site: Jews for Allah
As for comparing the status of women, please visit the following links: A Comparison of Women’s Status in Islam and the Judeo Christian Tradition
Women in Islam Verses Women in the Judeo-Christian Tradition
Thank you and hope the answer is helpful.
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