The article deals with the tradition of studying the intellectual (philosophical) heritage of medieval Islam by Russian scientists. The work shows the development of the self-consciousness of the historians of the Arabic (Islamic) philosophy in the context of the modern cultural and political situation. Special attention is paid to the development of the tradition of studying the history of the Medieval Islamic philosophy, the stages of its formation, as well as its characteristics. The article emphasizes the role of the most famous specialists whose works left a deep imprint on the formation of this scientific tradition and influenced the further study of the history of Islamic philosophy in Russia.