Universality In the Qur'an, Allah says

Universality
In the Qur'an, Allah says:
"We have sent you (Muhammad) as a mercy for all nations."
[21:107]
Thus Islam is not restricted to any particular race or nation, as many other
religions are, but is universal, meaning that its message applies to all
humanity, at all times, in all places.
Since Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the last prophet and messenger, his
message applies to all future generations. All previous prophets, from
Adam, Noah and Abraham to Moses and Jesus, were also Muslims:
"Not a single messenger did We send before you without this
inspiration sent by Us to him - that there is no god but I,
therefore worship and serve Me." [21:25]
Since the Qur'an is the final testament, with every word and every letter
unadulterated and unchanged, and protected by Allah from any change or
tampering, it is the final revelation, and no other law will ever supersede
it.
It applies, moreover, to every aspect of one's daily life, including personal,
social, legal, economic, political, even military. Furthermore, Islam affects
every part of the individual - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Women
At a time when the rest of the world, from Greece and Rome to India and
China, considered women as no better than children or even slaves, with no
rights whatsoever, Islam acknowledged women's equality with men in a
great many respects. The Qur'an states:
"And among His signs is this: that He created mates for you form
yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and He
ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs
for people who reflect." [30:21]
Prophet Muhammad said:
"The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in
manners and kindest to his wife." [Abu Dawud]
Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were created from the same soul. Both
were equally guilty of their sin and fall from grace, and both were
forgiven by Allah. Many women in Islam have had high status; consider the
fact that the first person to convert to Islam was Khadijah, the wife of
Muhammad, whom he both loved and respected. His favorite wife after
Khadijah's death, A'isha, became renowned as a scholar and one of the
greatest sources of Hadith literature. Many of the female Companions
accomplished great deeds and achieved fame, and throughout Islamic
history there have been famous and influential scholars, jurists and mystics.
With regard to education, both women and men have the same rights and
obligations. This is clear in Prophet Muhammad's saying:
"Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every believer." [Ibn Majah]
This implies men and women.
A woman is to be treated as God has endowed her, with rights, such as to
be treated as an individual, with the right to own and dispose of her own
property and earnings, enter into contracts, even after marriage. She has
the right to be educated and to work outside the home if she so chooses.
She has the right to inherit from her father, mother, and husband. A very
interesting point to note is that in Islam, unlike any other religion, a
woman can be an imam, a leader of communal prayer, for a group of
women.
A Muslim woman also has obligations. All the laws and regulations
pertaining to prayer, fasting, charity, pilgrimage, doing good deeds, etc.,
apply to women, albeit with minor differences having mainly to do with
female physiology.
Before marriage, a woman has the right to choose her husband. Islamic law
is very strict regarding the necessity of having the woman's consent for
marriage. A marriage dowry is given by the groom to the bride for her
own personal use. She keeps her own family name, rather than taking her
husband's. As a wife, a woman has the right to be supported by her
husband even if she is already rich. She also has the right to seek divorce
and custody of young children. She does not return the dowry, except in a
few unusual situations.
Despite the fact that in many places and times Muslim communities have
not always adhered to all or even many of the foregoing in practice, the
ideal has been there for 1,400 years, while virtually all other major
civilizations did not begin to address these issues or change their negative
attitudes until the 19th centuries, and there are still many contemporary
civilizations which have yet to do so.