The Prophet, Abu Bakr and ʿUmar used to start the prayer with "Al hamdu li l-lahi Rabbi l-ʿalamin (All praise is but to Allah, Lord of the Worlds).  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَأَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ ؓ كَانُوا يَفْتَتِحُونَ الصَّلاَةَ بِ {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ}  

Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to keep silent between the Takbir and the recitation of Qur'an and that interval of silence used to be a short one. I said to the Prophet ﷺ "May my parents be sacrificed for you! What do you say in the pause between Takbir and recitation?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "I say, 'Allahumma, baaʿid baini wa baina khatayaya kama baaʿadta baina l-mashriqi wa l-maghrib. Allahumma, naqqini min khatayaya kama yunaqqa th-thawbu l-abyadu mina d-danas. Allahumma, ighsil khatayaya bi l-maa'i wa th-thalji wa l-barad (O Allah! Set me apart from my sins (faults) as the East and West are set apart from each other and clean me from sins as a white garment is cleaned of dirt (after thorough washing). O Allah! Wash off my sins with water, snow and hail.)"  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْكُتُ بَيْنَ التَّكْبِيرِ وَبَيْنَ الْقِرَاءَةِ إِسْكَاتَةً قَالَ أَحْسِبُهُ قَالَ هُنَيَّةً فَقُلْتُ بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِسْكَاتُكَ بَيْنَ التَّكْبِيرِ وَالْقِرَاءَةِ مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَاىَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِي مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْ خَطَايَاىَ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ