Sayyiduna Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came across a document which mentioned what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite at the beginning of the prayer when he said the takbir. He used to recite: "Indeed I have turned my face, remaining upon the upright path, towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists. Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death belong to Allah Almighty, the Lord of all the worlds; He has no partner. This is what I have been commanded, and I am one of the Muslims. O Allah! You are the King; there is no god besides You. You are free of every imperfection, and praise belongs to You. You are my Lord and I am Your servant; You have no partner. I have wronged myself and I confess my sin, so forgive all my sins, for none forgives sins except You. Here I am at Your service, and good fortune is attained from You; all good is in Your hands. There is no place of safety and no refuge from You except in You. I seek Your forgiveness and I turn to You in repentance." (The narrator says:) After this the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite (the Qur'an).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator Muhammad bin Ishaq; he is "thiqah" (trustworthy) but a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain), and he narrated this with 'an'anah (using "from"). The remaining narrators of this report have been declared trustworthy.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الصلاة / 2621
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ ضعیف
Hadith Takhrij«أخرجه المعجم الكبير للطبراني برقم: 928»