Abu Huraira reported: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, began the opening exaltation of prayer, he would remain silent for a short while before reciting. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransomed for you! What do you say in the silent period between your exaltation and recitation?” The Prophet said, “I say: O Allah, make the distance between me and my sins like the distance between the east and the west. O Allah, purify me from my sins just as the white cloth is purified from filth. O Allah, cleanse me of my sins with the likes of snow, water, and ice.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 744, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 598
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا كَبَّرَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ سَكَتَ هُنَيَّةً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي أَرَأَيْتَ سُكُوتَكَ بَيْنَ التَّكْبِيرِ وَالْقِرَاءَةِ مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِي مِنْ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنْ الدَّنَسِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْنِي مِنْ خَطَايَايَ بِالثَّلْجِ وَالْمَاءِ وَالْبَرَدِ
744 صحيح البخاري كتاب الأذان باب ما يقول بعد التكبير
598 صحيح مسلم كتاب المساجد ومواضع الصلاة باب ما يقال بين تكبيرة الإحرام والقراءة