The seminary says that wearing a wig or artificial beard interferes with the two religious requirements for performing namaz, which are ‘vazu’ (mandatory washing the hands, face and head before namaz) and ‘gusl’ (cleaning of the entire body). 

Putting forward the argument, Deoband spokesperson Ashraf Usmani explained that the wig impedes the water from reaching the scalp which defeats the purpose of both ‘vazu’ and ‘gusl’, hence the body remains impure.

“If donning of the wig is so important, then one should take it off while performing ‘vazu’ or ‘gusl’ and later put it on during the prayers,” he said.

While the seminary is against wigs and similar things, it has no problem with people who have hair transplant as it says they are like natural hairs and the water can easily pass through them.