When Ali says to Rue, "The hour is certain to come, so one must forgive graciously," he is quoting the Quran 15:85.
Rue is seen wearing a t-shirt with "Malcolm X" written on it while apologizing to Ali on the phone. During special episode for Christmas "Trouble Don't Last Always (2020)" Rue and Ali talked about Malcolm X: his early life as a pimp and an addict, discovery of Islam and contributions to the Black community.
The episode is filmed under the working title, "Decoherence", which is referenced to Westworld (2016).