An Act of God is a natural force outside of human control (such as an earthquake, tsunami, or hurricane), and may relieve a party or parties to a contract or agreement from having to perform their obligations. Such Acts of God are often addressed in a force majeure clause, which typically appears near the end of the contract or agreement. A force majeure clause may also excuse a party's performance of its obligations for other reasons beyond its control, such as unavailability of products, riots, civil unrest, pandemics, and terrorism.

In Alabama, an 'Act of God' refers to unforeseen natural events that are beyond human control and cannot be anticipated or guarded against, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or tsunamis. These events may excuse parties from performing contractual obligations if such performance becomes impossible or impracticable due to the event. This legal concept is often encapsulated in a force majeure clause within contracts. Alabama courts typically enforce these clauses according to their terms, which means that the specific language of the clause will determine whether a party is excused from performance and under what circumstances. Force majeure clauses in Alabama may also cover other events beyond natural disasters, such as riots, civil unrest, pandemics, and terrorism, provided these are explicitly included in the clause. It is important for parties to a contract to carefully review and understand the scope of the force majeure clause to know their rights and obligations in the event of such extraordinary circumstances.