Can the paternal cousin of the daughter of the mother (who is considered a maternal uncle) offer condolences to the mother while she is in her 'iddah, and is it permissible to do so from behind a veil or not?

A woman whose husband has died must observe 'iddah (waiting period) mourning. Its rulings are summarized in five matters:

1. She must remain in the house where her husband died and she resided until the 'iddah ends (four months and ten days, or upon childbirth if she is pregnant). She should not leave except out of necessity or need. 2. She should not wear beautiful clothes or clothes of adornment. 3. She should not adorn herself with any type of jewelry. 4. She should not apply any type of perfume, except when purifying from menstruation, in which case she may use it on an area with an unpleasant odor. 5. She should not adorn her face or eyes with any type of adornment or kohl.

As for interacting with men, there is no difference between a woman in 'iddah and others; there is no harm for her mahram (unmarriageable kin) relatives to enter upon her and converse with her. As for non-mahram men, it is not permissible for them to mix with her or look at her hair. They may converse with her out of necessity, within the bounds of politeness and modesty, while refraining from speaking in a soft, alluring manner. If the man is her maternal uncle, he is a mahram, and it is permissible for him to enter upon her and converse with her. As for the son of her paternal cousin's daughter, if he is not a mahram, there is no harm in offering her condolences from behind a screen, within the bounds of politeness.