وَعَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ خَرَجَ زَمَنَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالْوَرَقُ يَتَهَافَتُ، فَأَخَذَ بِغُصْنَيْنِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ، قَالَ: فَجَعَلَ ذَلِكَ الْوَرَقَ يَتَهَافَتُ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ! قُلْتُ: لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قَالَ: إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُسْلِمَ لَيُصَلِّي الصَّلَاةَ يُرِيدُ بِهَا وَجْهَ اللَّهِ، فَتَتَهَافَتُ عَنْهُ ذُنُوبُهُ كَمَا تَهَافَتَ هَذَا الْوَرَقُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ
Translation: Abu Dharr reported: The Prophet ﷺ came out in winter as leaves were falling. He held two branches of a tree, and its leaves continued to fall. He said: When a Muslim servant prays seeking Allah’s pleasure, sins fall away from him as these leaves fall from this tree.
Abu Dharr describes a wintertime scene in which leaves were falling from a tree. The Prophet ﷺ took hold of branches, drew attention to the falling leaves, and explained that a Muslim who prays seeking Allah's pleasure has sins fall away like leaves from the tree.
الْوَرَقُ يَتَهَافَتُ means “the leaves are falling,” while غُصْنَيْنِ is a dual form meaning “two branches.” The Prophet ﷺ used something observable to help explain a spiritual outcome.
Source: Ahmad