She mixes with her relative, uncovers her face in front of him and talks to him on the phone
Question

                I am teaching in a circle (for memorising Quran). I have a student who is 20 years old. She has a relationship with a non-mahram relative (who was described as religious). When the two families meet she uncovers her face in front of him without khilwa (private meeting), as there are children present. When she was advised to stop doing this she said he is a relative and it is permissible. She also talks to him on the telephone. She does not know that I know about this matter, what shall I do? How shall I face her? I fear her stubbornness and I fear she leaves the circle that she badly needs.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    Undoubtedly this sister is in need of advice and guidance, 
    and the one who is said to be a righteous man who is one of her relatives 
    needs the same. There is no doubt that by means of this relationship they 
    are opening a door to fitnah and a path to sin and transgression, and no one 
    can be certain of what the consequences of that will be, and no one knows 
    where it will end up. 

    It was narrated from al-Nawwaas ibn Sam’aan al-Ansaari (may 
    Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has told the parable of a 
    straight path, on both sides of which are two walls, in which there are open 
    doors, and over the doors are curtains, and at the gate of the path there is 
    a caller who says: ‘O people, enter the path all together and do not go 
    depart from it. And there is a caller who calls from further in; when a 
    person wants to open any of those doors, he says: Woe to you, do not open 
    it! for if you open it you will enter it. 

    The path is Islam and the walls are the sacred limits of 
    Allaah, and the open doors are the things forbidden by Allaah. The caller at 
    the beginning of the path is the Book of Allaah and the caller at the top of 
    the path is the conscience in the heart of every Muslim.” 

    Narrated by Imam Ahmad (17182) and classed as saheeh by 
    al-Albaani in Zilaal al-Jannah (19). 

    The word “woe to you” is a warning against doing that; it is 
    a word that expresses mercy and concern and it is said to anyone who falls 
    into a bad situation that he does not deserve. 

    “Do not open it, for if you open it you will enter it” means 
    you will enter the door and fall into that which Allaah has forbidden.  

    Fayd al-Qadeer (4/334). 

    Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

    The one who in this world departs from the straight path and 
    opens the doors to haraam things that are in the walls of the path, right 
    and left, and enters them, whether he entered the haraam things because of 
    whims and desires or confusion, will be seized by the hooks that are on that 
    path, right and left, according to whatever doors to haraam things he opened 
    in this world, and some of them will fall into the Fire, and some will be 
    torn by the hooks then saved. 

    Sharh Hadeeth Mathal al-Islam, 
    p. 44. 

    The relationship mentioned in the question dictates two 
    things: 

    1 – That the relative should be concerned about his 
    relatives’ well being and be more concerned about protecting them than 
    anyone else. So he should not help his relative to open doors to haraam or 
    enter them, whether that is motivated by whims and desires or confusion, 
    rather his concern for his relative should be firstly because he is a Muslim 
    and then because he is a relative. 

    2 – Many people are careless about mixing between relatives, 
    and there are not many who do not overstep the limit and refrain from 
    slipping into areas of fitnah. Therefore Islam is strict in closing the door 
    to fitnah caused by relatives with whom people tend to feel too relaxed more 
    than others, to such a point that the relative is likened to death!  

    It was narrated from ‘Utbah ibn ‘Aamir that the Messenger of 
    Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Beware of 
    entering upon women.” An Ansaari man said: O Messenger of Allaah, what about 
    the in-law? He said: “The in-law is death.”  Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4934) 
    and Muslim (2172).  

    For the commentary of Imam al-Nawawi on this hadeeth, please 
    see the answer to question no. 12837. 

    In the answer referred to there is also a fatwa from Shaykh 
    ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) about the 
    permissibility of a woman sitting with her relatives, subject to two 
    conditions: 

    1 – That her hijab should be complete, including the face and 
    hands.

    2 – That there should be nothing dubious. 

    Both conditions are lacking in this case. She sits with her 
    relatives with her face uncovered, and undoubtedly her sitting with him is 
    dubious. Among the effects of that sitting together are the conversations 
    that have taken place between them, which are also haraam. We have quoted 
    the fatwas of the scholars about this issue in the answers to questions no.
    26890 and
    10221. 

    Secondly: 

    You have to be subtle in calling her, advising her and 
    reminding her, and you must use wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Kindness 
    in offering advice is more likely to bring a response and moving exhortation 
    is more likely to affect the heart.  

    Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “Invite (mankind, O Muhammad 
    صلىالله عليه وسلم) to the way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom 
    (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’aan) and fair preaching, and 
    argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has 
    gone astray from His path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided”

    [al-Nahl 16:125] 

    “Go, both of you, to Fir‘awn (Pharaoh), verily, he has 
    transgressed (all bounds in disbelief and disobedience and behaved as an 
    arrogant and as a tyrant).

    44. “And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept 
    admonition or fear (Allaah)”

    [Ta-Ha 20:43-44]. 

    See also the answers to questions no.
    60244 and
    13261. 

    If you are afraid that she will be put her off if you are 
    blunt with her, or you think that she will be stubborn, then you can give 
    her hints concerning what you want to tell her, and talk to her indirectly, 
    such as quoting some ahaadeeth in front of her that warn against the fitnah 
    of non-mahram men, especially relatives, or giving her some tapes and essays 
    and pamphlets that speak about that, and about the danger that taking such 
    matters lightly poses to the religious commitment and chastity of a woman, 
    and speak to her in general terms, as if you do not know anything about her 
    situation.  

    Then urge her to convey this message to other Muslim women, 
    when she is calling them to Allaah, and spreading that etiquette among 
    Muslim women, and that it is not sufficient for a girl to protect herself 
    against immorality or the things that lead to it such as haraam mixing and 
    relationships that are Islamically unacceptable, rather she must also call 
    others to Allaah and enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, as much as 
    she is able to.  

    Thirdly: 

    If this indirect approach does not succeed, then you can 
    gently confront her with what she is doing, as she is a grown up and will 
    understand what you say. She is also a student in a Qur'aan circle and her 
    actions do not reflect on her only but also on the place where she is 
    learning. Tell her that you are telling her this because you love her and 
    you wish her well, and you are concerned about her, and it is not the matter 
    of trying to control another person’s actions, for many people are put off 
    from the truth for no other reason than that they think the person who is 
    advising them is trying to set himself up as his keeper. 

    You can focus on a number of things when you advise her: 

    1.Explain to her the status of 
    modesty in Islam, and how the wives of the Prophet  (peace and blessings 
    of Allaah be upon him) and the womenfolk of the Sahaabah attained a high 
    degree with regard to this virtue.

    2.Point out to her that she is 
    falling into something that is forbidden in sharee’ah, such as uncovering 
    the face in front of a non-mahram man, sitting in a mixed gathering and 
    talking to him on the pone. We have referred above to numerous fatwas from 
    the scholars on these matters.

    In the answers to questions no.
    11774 and
    21536 we have explained the ruling 
    on covering the face and hands.

    3.Remind her of the true stories 
    of those who fell victim to mixing and talking and corresponding with 
    non-mahrams, as such stories are innumerable.

    See also the answer to question no.
    20784.

    In the answer to question no.
    1200 we have explained the ruling 
    on mixing in detail, and its bad effects.

    4.Get in touch with her mother or 
    visit her to advise her and remind her of the wrong things that are being 
    done in their house, and the effect that this will have on them, and on 
    their daughter in particular.

    And Allaah knows best.