Firstly:
Music is prohibited, no matter what it is called. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Among my ummah there will certainly be people who regard as permissible zina, silk, alcohol and musical instruments…” Narrated by al-Bukhari (5590).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This hadith indicates that musical instruments are prohibited. According to the scholars of Arabic language, the word ma`azif (translated here as musical instruments) are instruments that are used for entertainment. This noun includes all kinds of musical instruments.
End quote from Majmu` al-Fatawa (11/535).
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 5000.
The ruling on the songs that you asked about is no different to the ruling on all other types of singing and music that are prohibited.
Ibn al-Qattan (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The singing of immoral people is the type of singing that is prohibited; it is blameworthy according to all scholars.
End quote from Al-Iqna’ fi Masa’il al-Ijma’ (2/304).
Singing and music have serious negative consequences, which Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) discussed in his book Ighathat al-Lahfan fi Masayid ash-Shaytan. They include:
1- It distracts the heart and diverts it from the Quran.
You will not find anyone who loves songs and instrumental music and listens to them but you will find that he is somewhat adrift from the path of guidance in terms of knowledge and action, and he loses interest in listening to Quran and prefers to listen to music, in that when he has the choice between listening to music or listening to Quran, he will prefer the former to the latter, finding the latter to be burdensome. Perhaps he may reach such an extent that he would silence the reciter and think that his recitation has gone on for too long, whereas he will ask the singer to keep going and feel that his performance is too short.
End quote from Ighathat al-Lahfan (1/420-426).
2- It generates hypocrisy in the heart.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The definition of hypocrisy is that a person’s outward appearance differs from what is in the heart. The one who listens to music is caught between two options: either to behave in an immoral and promiscuous manner or to make a show of devotion to worship, and thus prove that he is a hypocrite… Moreover, one of the signs of hypocrisy is remembering Allah little, feeling lazy when getting up to pray, and rushing his prayer. You will rarely find a music lover who is not like that…
`Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz said: Music makes hypocrisy grow in the heart as water makes plants grow. Music corrupts the heart, and when the heart becomes corrupt, hypocrisy overwhelms it.
End quote from Ighathat al-Lahfan (1/441-442).
3- It is a path that leads to zina, especially for women, because they are easily influenced.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: That is because voices have a swift impact on women, so if the voices are singing, the impact will be twofold: from the voice itself and from the meaning of the songs.
End quote from Ighathat al-Lahfan (1/463).
Secondly:
With regard to your saying: Sometimes I think that the songs are about innocent love, so there is nothing wrong with them,
We must understand that when Islam prohibited singing and music, the only subject matter of songs at that time was what you would call innocent love, because they used to sing poetry, and poetry at that time was no more than describing the beauty of the beloved, and there was no blunt mention of immoral deeds [for the most part]. Perhaps it was less evil than songs nowadays, so the musical instruments did not have as strong an impact as musical instruments nowadays, and the singers at that time were not extreme in their immorality and promiscuity as singers are nowadays.
Moreover, what you call innocent love is in fact calling a man to fall in love with the image of a woman and her charms, and for a woman to fall in love with the image of a man. Is the first step towards the immoral action of zina anything other than this love and infatuation? Anything that calls a woman to fall in love with a young man who is a stranger to her outside the bounds of marriage is one of the steps of the Shaytan, no matter what you call it. Moreover, this step leads to another step, until ultimately the individual falls into that into which the Shaytan wants him to fall. Hence Allah, may He be Exalted, warned us against that when He said:
{O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing} [An-Nur 24:21].
Thirdly:
Praise be to Allah, you are smart and alert to the possibility of danger, as you describe yourself as a teenager and easily influenced. So there is nothing left for you to do except to resolve sincerely to avoid this danger.
The first and most important step in order to keep away, flee and save yourself from this danger is to cut off ties with the female friends who form an obstacle to your saving yourself. The Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us that the believer should not make friends with anyone except a fellow believer, and that is so that he can help him to obey Allah, may He be Exalted. So if his friend needs advice, he can advise him, and if he forgets about Allah, he can remind him… And so on.
The point of this advice is not to make you hasten to cut off ties with those girls; rather you should, first of all, advise them to repent and turn to Allah, may He be Exalted, then if they do not respond, after that you can stop being friends with them.
Trust the promise of Allah, may He be Exalted, that whoever gives up something for His sake, He will compensate him with something better than it. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “You will never give up anything for the sake of Allah but Allah will replace it for you with something better than it.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (38/170). Al-Albani said: Its isnad is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim. Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Sahihah (1/62).
You must always be mindful of Allah, may He be Exalted, for that is the way out from any distress and is the path to happiness. Allah, may He be Exalted, says:
{Whoever fears Allah, He will grant him a way out [from difficulty],
and will provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. Allah will surely attain His purpose. Allah has set a measure [and appointed term] for all things} [At-Talaq 65:2-3].
Shaykh `Abd ar-Rahman as-Sa`di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever fears Allah (st) and constantly seeks His pleasure in all his affairs, Allah will reward him in this world and the hereafter.
Part of that reward is that Allah will grant him relief and a way out from all difficulties and hardship.
Just as whoever fears Allah, He will grant him relief and a way out, by the same token, whoever does not fear Allah will face difficulties, obstacles and troubles that he cannot find a way out of or escape the consequences thereof.
End quote from Tafsir al-Karim ar-Rahman fi Tafsir Kalam al-Mannan (Tafsir as-Sa`di), p. 1026.
And Allah knows best.
