Abu Huraira said that God’s Messenger used to observe a period of silence between the <i>takbir</i> and the recitation of the Qur an, so he addressed him thus, “Messenger of God, for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, what do you say during your period of silence between the <i>takbir</i> and the recitation?” He replied that he said, “O God, remove my sins far from me as You have removed the East far from the West. O God, purify me from sins as a white garment is purified from filth. O God, wash away my sins with water, snow and hail.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يسكت بَين التَّكْبِير وَبَين الْقِرَاءَة إسكاتة قَالَ أَحْسبهُ قَالَ هنيَّة فَقلت بِأبي وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِسْكَاتُكَ بَيْنَ التَّكْبِيرِ وَالْقِرَاءَة مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ: «أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِي مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْ خَطَايَايَ بِالْمَاءِ والثلج وَالْبرد»