Border crossings through translation in the Ḥadīẕ de Yūçuf

ABSTRACT The Ḥadīẕ de Yūçuf, based on Sūrah 12 of the Qur’ān, shows the role of translation as a border that delimits the confines of the faith, but that, at the same time, functions as a door that facilitates the access of the translator to certain cultural traditions of neighboring faiths. These traditions are used as a contextual resource to achieve the translator's aims without changing the nuclear teachings of the original source. This article shows how the Ḥadīẕ de Yūçuf represents a movement of intellectual border crossing by using the cuaderna vía or biblical motives in order to transmit the spiritual teachings of the original source to reinforce the community's identity.