The article discusses the use of information and communication technologies in the training of specialists with indepth knowledge of the history and culture of Islam at the Faculty of Asian and African Studies of St. Petersburg State University using the example of the online course "Islam: history, culture, practice". It is used both by students to consolidate and deepen their knowledge in the framework of the educational process, and by a wide audience to get acquainted with the basics of Islam and understand the peculiarities of the existence of this religion. In addition, the article touches on the prospects of using massive open online courses in the Russian education system, since distance and e - learning are gradually becoming an addition to traditional forms of teaching. The active production of online courses allows to talk about their use in order to increase the competence of the student, modernize the educational process, popularizing scientific knowledge and increasing the target audience.