She wants to leave the land of disbelief and go back to her family, but they refused to let her do so. What should she do?

For the Muslim to reside among the mushrikeen poses a
grave danger, because of what there is in such environments of a lack of
virtuous attitudes and deviation from sound human nature. No wise person
who has knowledge of such environments will doubt what there is in them
of negative effects on the Muslim who lives there. 

Wise people should look at what Islam brought of rulings
which seek to protect people’s religious commitment and honour, and they
should hold fast to them and act upon them. That is better for them in terms
of both this world and the hereafter. We see this noble Sahaabi woman, who
lived in a pure and decent society, and she wanted to go to Makkah al-Mukarramah
to perform the obligatory Hajj as enjoined by Allah, may He be exalted, but
her husband wanted to go and fight for the sake of Allah, may He be exalted.
So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not allow her
husband to go for jihad, and he instructed him to travel with his wife and
be a mahram who could look after her whilst she performed Hajj. Al-Bukhaari
(3006) and Muslim (1341) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased
with him) that he heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) say: “No man should be alone with a woman without there being a mahram
present, and no woman should travel unless she has a mahram with her.” A man
stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah, my wife has set out for Hajj and I
have enlisted for such and such a campaign. He said: “Go and do Hajj with
your wife.” If that was the shar‘i ruling at that time, with such good
people and in such a pure environment, then what would be said about our own
times, in a situation where a woman wants to travel to the land of disbelief
on her own, and she wants to study in a mixed environment with the
disbelievers, and to reside among them without any of her family present?! 

The circumstances in which the questioner is living in that
country makes us urge her and exhort her to insist on what she has decided
to do, namely returning to her Muslim country and living among her family.
For a single woman to live in a land of disbelief, and study in a mixed
environment, when she has no family there to take care of her and look after
her – all of that undoubtedly poses a danger to the religious commitment of
that woman, except for one who is not aware of that situation or does not
attach any significance to the danger that is posed to religious commitment
and honour. 

Your family should not regard what they have spent as an
obstacle to your going back to them. They should reflect on the situation of
those who have fallen into the clutches of the enemies of Islam and of good
morals and sound human nature, both men and women in those countries, male
and female students, and they should reflect on the consequences of that for
their families and how those families are now prepared to spend all that is
precious in order to put right what has been corrupted by those environments
in their sons and daughters. Not everything that has been corrupted can be
set right. The one who is blessed is the one who learns a lesson from
others. Your father should understand that he will be questioned about you
on the Day of Resurrection, for he is the shepherd of his household and he
is responsible for it. Al-Bukhaari (853) and Muslim (1829) narrated that
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you
is responsible for his flock. The ruler is a shepherd and is responsible for
his flock. A man is the shepherd of his household and is responsible for his
flock.” 

We ask Allah to guide your family to do that which is in
their best interests in both religious and worldly terms, and to enable them
to do that which Allah loves and is pleased with. Try to make sure that your
return is with their approval, to the best of your ability. If you do not
succeed in that, it is not permissible for you to obey them by staying
there, and you must return to them. By doing so, you will please your Lord,
may He be glorified and exalted, so do not worry about your family or anyone
else being displeased with you. Understand that that state of affairs will
not last for long, in sha Allah; your stance on this issue will be recorded
to your credit, and they will eventually be pleased with you, and it will
become clear to them that what you have done is undoubtedly the right thing.
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever
seeks to please Allah by displeasing the people, Allah, may He be exalted,
will be pleased with him and will make the people pleased with him. But
whoever seeks to please the people by displeasing Allah, Allah will be
displeased with him and will make the people displeased with him.” Narrated
by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (1/501); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (2311). 

Please see also the answers to questions no.
112188, 118132 and
27211 

We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to make you steadfast, to
enable you to do that which pleases Him, and to bless you with a righteous
husband who will help you to practise your religion, and to bless you with
righteous offspring, for He is All-Hearing, Ever Responsive. 

And Allah knows best.