Among the prayer azkar recited right at the opening of salah is this dua asking Allah to place complete distance between the worshipper and his sins, cleansing him as a white garment is cleansed of stain. It is said between the opening takbir and the recitation of al-Fatiha.
Allahumma ba'id bayni wa bayna khatayaya kama ba'adta baynal-mashriqi wal-maghrib, allahumma naqqini min khatayaya kama yunaqqath-thawbul-abyadu minad-danas, allahummagh-silni min khatayaya bith-thalji wal-ma'i wal-barad.
📖 Virtue (Arabic source text)
دعاء الاستفتاح، كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقوله بين تكبيرة الإحرام والقراءة.
متفق عليه
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Meaning
O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as a white garment is cleansed of stains. O Allah, wash away my sins with snow, water, and hail.
When to recite
Say it once immediately after the opening takbir and before seeking refuge and reciting al-Fatiha, in the first rak'ah, as one of several alternative opening duas of the prayer.
About this dhikr
This dhikr is part of Prayer Azkar as documented in Hisnul Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim), and is recited 1 time.
How many times should this dhikr be recited?
This dhikr is recited 1 time, as narrated in Hisnul Muslim. Use the smart counter on this page to track your repetitions.
When is the istiftah dua said in the prayer?
It is said right after the opening takbir and before seeking refuge and reciting al-Fatiha, being one of the established opening duas from the Prophet.
What does the dua 'O Allah, distance me from my sins' mean?
It asks Allah to place distance between the worshipper and his sins and to purify him of them as a white garment is cleansed of stain, one of the most eloquent forms of seeking purity before standing before Allah.
Is it recommended to vary between the different opening duas?
The worshipper chooses one opening dua for the first rak'ah, and it is recommended to alternate between the different reported forms across different prayers.